


Welcome to the Jungle

by LightningSupernova



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F, Original Character(s), Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-05-15 00:10:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14779910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightningSupernova/pseuds/LightningSupernova
Summary: Two months after the events of the second season, a stranger rides into town. Tall, dark and blue eyed, Alex finds her present, past and future to be intwined with the Earps.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Wynonna Earp story and it fits right after season 2. Canon-compliant. I only left out Mamma Earp for now. So just ignore the last scene where Wynonna met up with her mother.
> 
> WayHaught, of course.
> 
> I'm full on writing this, so please be patient :)
> 
> Thanks to Rebellion_Bear for the BETA. You rock!
> 
> Also, there is mention of the teachings of Thelema in this story, loosely interpreted. If any Thelemists read this, I mean no offence. I'm not a religious person myself, but have the utmost respect for those who are.

The rumble of the motorcycle halted in front of the faded welcome sign, the rider taking off their black helmet. Sky blue eyes scanned the surroundings, taking in the emptiness of the area. Nothing but deserted wasteland, broken here and there by old and worn wooden fences.

“Welcome to Purgatory,” the woman mumbled, a hand running through short, dark brown hair. Blowing out a breath, she put her helmet back on and gunned her bike. “Let’s get to it, Al,” she told herself and drove on.

 

* * *

 

Purgatory was a small town, typical of the area. Al spotted the motel easily and made a mental note to return later. It was doubtful she’d find another place to spend the night in a little place like this. She drove up to the town centre first, parking her bike in front of a bar - Shorty’s it read on the faded sign - and made her way inside. It was after five in the afternoon and the bar was slowly filling up.

She took a moment to take in the worn and tacky decor, thinking that it was like walking into an old western movie, and made her way to the bar, finding herself a free stool. The sound of her placing her helmet on the bar caught the attention of the barkeep.

The brunette woman turned, eyes widening in surprise, before beaming at her customer. “Hi!” She spoke very enthusiastically. “I haven't seen you around here before. New in town?”

“Yeah. Just got here, actually. Name’s Al - Alex Gibson.” Alex held out her hand.

“Waverly Earp,” Waverly shook her hand, “Yes, I’m an Earp.” She was about to launch into her practiced Wyatt Earp speech, but the other woman just lifted an eyebrow. “You're not even close from around here, are you?” 

Alex shot the cute woman one of her most charming smiles. “Nope. Did see the signs on my way though. Wyatt Earp country. He must have been someone important.” She grinned when Waverly blushed and dropped her eyes. Alex leaned a bit closer, almost smelling Waverly’s interest, but before she could flirt a little more, the petite brunette’s eyes slipped past her to the door.

And onto the uniformed officer that had just entered the bar.

“Nicole!” Waverly waved, a wide smile appearing on her face. The officer approached the bar and Waverly moved to meet her. The tall redhead shot Alex a look before focusing on Waverly.  Alex chuckled. That look only had one meaning: hands off my girl! And Alex wasn’t planning on angering a woman with a gun strapped to her waist. Though, in this county that would be hard to avoid. One quick glance around the bar and Alex already counted six guns. Must be the whole Wild West vibe that still hung in the air.

Waverly bounced back in front of her, “Sorry ‘bout that. What can I get you? On the house, since it’s your first time here.”

Alex chuckled, “A beer would be nice. Thank you.” Waverly smiled and went to her tap.

Nicole took a seat two stools to her left and placed her hat on the bar. She turned in her seat to eye the newcomer. They didn’t get those often in Purgatory. “You’re an American aren’t you? What brings you to our quaint little town?”

Taking the beer from Waverly, Alex took a long sip to give her a moment to consider her answer. “I was actually born here in Canada, but moved to the States when I was an infant. Travelled all over the place.” She took another sip and watched Waverly hand Nicole a drink. It looked to be something non-alcoholic, probably because the woman was still in uniform. “I’m doing a bit of a road trip these days, trying to find my roots or something.”

Nicole couldn’t help but find that a very vague answer as she sipped her drink. She held out her hand in greeting. “Nicole Haught.”

Alex leaned over to shake it, arching an eyebrow. “Officer Haught, huh?” Nicole shook her head with a sigh and Alex chuckled, betting that the officer had heard all he jokes before. “Alex Gibson. And that’s the only Haught joke you’ll ever hear me make.”

To that, Nicole smiled and glanced towards Waverly. “I wish your sister would say the same.” Wynonna still used her last name in every possible pun she could think off. But, if Nicole was honest, that was what made Wynonna Wynonna, and Nicole had come to respect the woman. Even if they bumped heads once every so often.

Alex emptied her glass. “Is the motel I passed on my way here my only option for a decent night’s sleep?”

“Not for a decent night, no,” Waverly answered, looking a bit embarrassed. “But yes, it’s the only motel in town. It doesn’t have any bugs … as far as I know.” But people do have a tendency to get brutally murdered there. She didn’t say the last part out loud.

Alex shrugged, “It’ll do for now.” It was only fairly early, but she was tired and sore from the long journey. She stood and took her helmet. “Thank you for the information, Miss Earp. Officer Haught.”

“Will you be around?” Waverly asked.

Alex grinned, “Probably. A couple of days at least.” She winked at the brunette, ignoring Nicole’s squinting eyes, and left the bar. In the corner of her eyes, she saw Waverly throw a dishtowel towards the redhead. She smirked as she donned her helmet, straddled her bike and drove off.

 

* * *

 

“You’re cute when you’re jealous,” Waverly quipped, turning her head from where it was laying in Nicole’s lap. Nicole grumbled, trailing her fingers through Waverly’s hair. She loved the silky feeling as it ran between her long digits. They were relaxing together on Nicole’s couch, Calamity Jane perched on Waverly’s chest. The ginger cat wasn’t known to take to strangers easily (especially men, she hated men), but it only took Waverly a bit of coaxing to get Jane to accept her.

As soon as they got home, Nicole slipped out of her uniform into a pair of faded jeans and a worn flannel shirt. “Baby, I know what flirting looks like and that woman was flirting with you. I had to make sure she knew I have a gun.” Nicole was only half kidding. As she said before, she’d shoot anyone for Waverly.

Waverly reached up, burying a hand in red hair and pulled Nicole’s face down. “That’s so hot, Haught.” She kissed away Nicole’s groan.

Jane stood, stretching her legs before jumping off her human’s chest. She knew where this would be going. She decided to find some food instead.

 

* * *

 

Alex threw her saddlebag on the bed and locked the door behind her. She released a weary sigh and took in the room. It was small, outdated and tacky. Like everything else in this town it seemed. Even the diner she stopped at for some food looked like it came straight out of a Clint Eastwood movie. She went to the bed and pushed down a couple of times. The bed squeaked a little, but still had a decent bounce. Could be worse, Alex thought. There weren’t any bugs in sight.

She shrugged out of her jacket with a wince and kicked off her boots on the way to the bathroom. As she walked through the bathroom door, she pulled her shirt over her head with difficulty, groaning in pain. Now that the excitement of the day was wearing off, the pain was coming through. She glanced over her shoulder into the mirror and gasped, her eyes following the angry black lines of the fresh tattoo on her back. They were red and inflamed, not getting enough rest to heal up properly.

It was a unicursal hexagram, the top point starting just beneath her neck, the sides covering her shoulder blades, to end halfway down her back. In the middle was a five pointed flower and underneath it, the ends disappearing beneath the top of Alex’s pants, where the symbols: θέλημα.

"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the Law, love under Will.”

Alex recited her vows while stripping off her pants and underwear. She reached into the shower to turn on the water to heat up and waited, stretching her back. After a couple of minutes, she took a deep breath and jumped in, groaning as the water stung her inflamed back. It hurt almost as much as getting the tattoo did and she closed her eyes, gritting her teeth. She thought back to the past couple of days, to the necessity of the marks now gracing her back. To the day she barely remembers as it was filled with smoking herbs and people chanting, keeping her in a daze to cope with the pain.

She opened her eyes when remembering the woman who sat next to her through it all. The brunette who gazed at her with those gentle hazel eyes surrounded by lines of age beyond her years. Eyes who had gazed upon her since she had been a small child.

She turned off the water and got out of the shower, carefully drying her back. She rubbed her hair and her face, peering into her reflection, those hazel eyes of the woman who practically raised her still in her thoughts. “I will not fail you,” she swore.

Then she padded into the main room, not bothering with clothes, and dropped face-down on the bed. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since the chapters are relatively short, I decided to post the second one. It give a lot more background on Alex and starts building up the plot. Hopefully I can get more people into it ;)
> 
> Enjoy

Nightmares were something Alex was used too. She started having them as a small child. Dreams of demons, guns and blood. Dreams of hellfire and screaming men. No one could ever truly explain to the girl why she had them. Not until she met her aunt.

She had just turned five when she first met her. It was her birthday and Alex could clearly remember the day. As she could any day. It was a memory quirk. Useful sometimes, yet mostly a curse. She even remembers the day she was born, though it was strange and hazy and mostly consisted of the memory of sounds and smells. She remembered her mother, smelling of leather and gunpowder. She remembered her crying, feeling the teardrops fall on her skin. Then someone else took her. This person smelling like spring, with a faint hint of vanilla surrounding her. They took her outside, away from her mother, into a car. The scent of vanilla was stronger there and Alex realised someone else was in the car with them. Then came her first visual memory, a color. The red of the other woman’s hair. It was were the vanilla came from. Later on came another person, a man she realised when she was old enough to understand the concept. He smelled vaguely of whiskey and horses. And gunpowder and leather. Then they were all gone and Alex remembered wind and noise and someone holding her who smelled sour and strange.

She longed for the smells of that first day for years. Gunpowder and leather, spring and vanilla. She learned who they belonged to, having heard the story of her mother and father, her aunts and their friends. She saw them regularly through Skype and Facetime. If she wanted to talk to them at all, that was, cause Alex wasn’t an easy child. She was often angry and stubborn, refusing to even look at the computer screen.

She remembered the last time she looked into the grey eyes of the woman she knew smelled like leather and gunpowder. How she begged for the chance to reinstate those memories.

“I’m sorry, Alice. But I can’t make it out for your birthday. There’s too much at stake here and I can’t leave.” Wynonna pleaded for her daughter to understand why she broke her promise. She wanted nothing more than to finally take her child into her arms. But the cult was getting stronger and the heir couldn’t leave. “But your aunt Waverly is coming over. Would you like that?”

The girl nodded through her tears, but refused to speak.

“Ok … Look, Alice, I have to go. If everything goes well, we’ll be able to make it next year. Maybe even bring you home. Ok?” Wynonna blinked away some tears of her own. “Your dad says hi … He loves you too alright? Be a good girl for Gus. Happy birthday pumpkin.” The screen turned black.

Her aunt arrived two days later and the five year old latched onto her, revelling in that familiar smell. She never truly let go ever since.

The call that turned their world upside down came a day later.

 

 

* * *

 

Alex jumped up from the bed abruptly, breathing hard at the intensity of reliving those old memories. She crawled out of bed and made her way to the sink in the bathroom, throwing some cold water onto her face. She stood there for long moments, her hands gripping the countertop, watching the droplets slip from her face. One hand came up and grabbed the necklace hanging around her neck. It was supposed to ward off the dreams, it had done so in the past. Her aunt got it for her when she was twelve and a mess. It was around that time she swore off her real name, going by Al most of the time, turning it into Alex as she grew older. She was a scared and angry teenager, in a world that was falling apart at its seams. Her nightmares, combined with the fact that she remembers every second of every goddamn day, did not contribute to a person’s stability.  Her aunt often mentioned that she took after her mother that way. She still hadn’t figured out if that was a good thing or not.

It must be the area, Alex concluded. The Ghost River Triangle holds strange and powerful mystical forces. It must interfere with the energy of her ward. That and the fact she just met her aunt, 20 years younger than she’d last seen her. Happy and carefree, madly in love.

And Nicole still smelled like vanilla.

It was so very confusing.

 

* * *

 

“Have you told her yet?” Dolls threw a file in front of Nicole at the station. 

The redhead let out a deep sigh and shook her head, not lifting her eyes to face the man. “I haven’t found the right moment. Things are finally calming down a little after everything that happened. I don’t want to throw in another bombshell.” It had been two months since Demon Clootie had first risen, but he was currently still locked away and with both his wives gone and Bobo stuck down that well, things were quiet in Purgatory. Problem was that they never stayed quiet for long.

Dolls frowned. He understood Nicole’s need to tell the rest of them herself, but enough was enough. “Tomorrow. If you haven’t told them by then, I will.”

Nicole looked up as he walked away to his office and blew out a breath. She picked up the file Dolls left her and thumbed through it. Another body, another sacrifice, once again closer to Purgatory than the last. “Oh nuts,” Nicole mumbled to herself, burying a hand in her hair. She’d hoped she’d never have to deal with these people again. It was one of the reasons she happily accepted the position in Purgatory.

“Hi Sweety,” Waverly bounced in like a little ball of sunshine. She immediately noticed the frown on Nicole’s face and hopped over, perching herself on the officer’s desk. “What’s wrong?”

Nicole figured now was a good time as any. She reached for her hat and stood. “Can Black Badge spare you for a while? I need to talk to you about something. And I need to go on patrol. Join me?”

Waverly nodded, “Sure. Lead the way, officer.” Nicole looked nervous, twirling her hat between her fingers as she took a stack of files with her. She led the way to her car, opening the door for Waverly like a true gentlewoman, and drove them away while handing Waverly the files.

Waverly flipped through them and Nicole felt herself break out in sweat. “What are these?” Waverly asked, studying the gruesome pictures of what were clearly human sacrifices. “Does this have ties with Demon Clootie?” she guessed.

Nicole stopped the car at the side of the road and turned off the ignition. “Bulshar. His name’s Bulshar. And yeah … It’s his cult getting stronger and getting closer.” She wasn’t looking towards Waverly, a fact that the brunette found odd.

“How do you know that?” Waverly asked, closing the files.

Taking a breath, Nicole closed her eyes. “Because I know them. I know how they work. I know their leader.” She blew out a breath and huffed, “I tried to get away from them, fled to an unknown speck of a town. Yet I managed to flee to exactly the place they wanted me to be. Fucking Karma.” Nicole didn’t curse often and it shocked Waverly greatly. She placed the files on the floor between her feet and scooted closer to her girlfriend, taking hold of the hand that was resting in her lap.

“You know you can tell me anything, right? I mean, what could be worse than you being married? And I forgave you for that.” Waverly grinned up at Nicole, hoping to coax at least a smile out of the woman. Her smile fell when one didn’t come. She knew it had to be bad.

“The cult leader’s Kevin Haught … my father.”

There it was, Nicole thought. Now the cat is out of the bag. Now they will all look at her differently. With pity and disdain. She didn’t open her eyes, not wanting to see that look in Waverly’s eyes.

“Nicole? Look at me,” Waverly ran her thumbs on the back of Nicole’s hand, the soothing circular motion always managed to calm her girlfriend down. She watched those gorgeous golden brown eyes flutter open and was taken aback by the fear she found lurking beneath the surface. “Oh Sweetie. Why did you never tell me this before?”

Nicole frowned when she found only love and respect in Waverly’s eyes. “I just told you I grew up in a demon cult. How can you be ok with that?”

Waverly smiled and reached up to tuck a strand of red hair back behind Nicole’s ear. “I’m an Earp, Nicole … Well, maybe not biologically, but I grew up one. We don’t scare so easy.” She took a quick look around and, seeing that they were still alone, maneuvered herself into Nicole’s lap. She cupped the redhead’s cheek, smirking when Nicole leaned into her touch.

“Nedley will kill me if he catches us,” Nicole murmured but didn’t move to stop Waverly as the brunette leaned down to kiss her. She inhaled through her nose in surprise when Waverly boldly slipped her tongue into her mouth. Her hands found Waverly’s hips and she decided to shut down her mind for a while and enjoy the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Don't forget to feed the author


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who sends me comments/Kuddos! 
> 
> Enjoy chapter 3

Alex was leaning against her bike, munching on her burger. She’d been up since before dawn, driving around town, trying to come up with a plan of action. She needed to get into Black Badge, needed to know where they stood in the fight against the cult. But she couldn’t just come clean about who she was. No one would believe her. 

It gave her a strange feeling when she checked the date this morning. In this time, she was barely two months old and being raised far away from this place. It was hard to let go of the lingering resentment she still felt about it.

She threw away the wrappings in a nearby trash can and sauntered into to Shorty’s. It was still early, just past noon, but the bar was already fairly busy. People had been walking in and out since it opened a few hours ago. The moment she walked into the door, however, she froze. At the bar sat a dark haired woman in a leather jacket, her back towards the door, nursing a glass of whiskey. It was her scent that hit Alex first.

Gunpowder and leather.

Swallowing visibly, Alex shook her head to get back in the game. She took a seat on the other side of the long bar, trying very hard not to stare at the woman. 

Wynonna was oblivious to her scrutiny, staring into the remains of the liquid in her glass before downing them and refilling from a nearby bottle. 

“What can I get ya?” 

Alex looked up when a deep voice addressed her and flinched when she recognized the man on the other side of the bar. She’d forgotten about that. 

Doc frowned and took a step back. “Are you alright miss?” 

“Uhm … Yeah, just thinking, sorry. Uhm … Can I have a beer?” Alex managed to stammer, mentally scolding herself. Doc Holliday owned this bar, so it was natural he would be behind the counter during the day. By the time Doc placed the freshly tapped beer in front of her, she managed to get herself together. “Thanks,” she took a deep drink. 

“I haven’t seen you around before.” The man drawled in his thick western accent, his blue eyes roaming over Alex. Like he was trying to find something that wasn’t there.

Alex nodded, “Just got here yesterday. It’s a nice town. Quiet. Might stick around for a while.” 

Doc grabbed a couple of empty glasses from the counter to wash, giving himself a moment to appraise the new woman. There were only a few reasons why such a young thing would come to Purgatory. She was acting nervous, so Doc concluded she must be running and hiding from something. But she didn’t feel like a criminal to him. In fact, there was something eerily familiar about the girl. “You’ll find that it takes a bit of coaxing to get into the community, but once you do … They’re fine people.” He placed the clean glasses on the counter and moved to serve another patron who waved him down.

Alex blew out a breath and continued her musing, her eyes gliding over the people in the bar as she enjoyed her beer. She watched as Doc made his way over to Wynonna and stopped her from pouring more whiskey into her glass, taking the bottle and giving her a glass of water instead. Wynonna seemed to protest for a moment, but gave up fairly quickly. Alex finished her beer and held out her glass to signal for another. “Is she ok?” She asked Doc when he placed the fresh beer in front of her.

“She will be,” he answered, a bit surprised by the question. He arched an eyebrow, looking questiongly at Alex.

“Oh … Sorry. It’s probably not my business. But she looks sad … Just, sorry.” Alex took a gulp from her glass to hide her embarrassment. She was a stranger in this town, she didn’t know these people. You’re not supposed to ask these things then, right?

Doc let out a small laugh, “I have a feeling you’ll fit in just right.” He took his rag, starting to wipe down the counter and left Alex alone to figure out what he meant.

 

 

* * *

 

 

A couple of days passed with Alex getting to know the town a bit more. People were getting used to seeing her face in Shorty’s, or in the diner, or seeing her drive past the fields on her bike. Though most of them still wondered what she was doing there, they were starting to understand she wasn’t a threat and greeted her with smiles and polite hello’s. 

Alex herself started to fall for the quaint little town, even if she could spot the demonic underlayer. It was strange to see the demons in hiding and the humans in complete denial. In her time, demons roamed the streets and humans lived underground. It reinforced her mission. To make sure the Apocalyptic future she came from would never happen.

On the seventh day, just around sunset, she made her way to Shorty’s to find Doc closing up. “Hey Henry,” she called out.

The man turned, a smile on his face at seeing the young woman. “Evening, Alex. I hate to say this, but I have to close for a couple of hours.” He still hadn’t found a new waitress after Rosita’s betrayal and, even though Waverly was helping him out regularly, Black Badge needed them more right now. Always the businessman, he hated closing down, but right now he didn’t have a choice, unless … “Say. You want to make some extra money, kid?” He had heard Alex was asking around for the odd job, but with it being close to winter those were scarce.

Alex looked at him in confusion for a moment. “Sure … I’ve been looking for some work.” 

Doc smiled and opened the door to the bar again, pushing Alex inside. “It’s all yours. I’ll be back in an hour or two … I think.” 

“Wait, wait … You trust me with your bar?” 

“I usually have a good feeling about people and I believe you’re a good one … Don’t prove me wrong. I have a big gun.” He grinned at the last part, making Alex feel very uncomfortable as she wondered if it was a joke or not. Then he just turned and strode away, leaving a perplexed Alex behind. 

“Okay …” she murmured to herself as she flipped the lightswitch. “You got this, Al.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Things went well during the evening rush, considering Alex had never worked in a bar before. The patrons were helpful, pointing Alex to whatever they needed and giving her tips and advice. Though Alex was never really a people person, she charmed her way into the hearts of the residents of purgatory, listening to their stories and giving her own advice about how to handle their problematic situations. She was sure she saved two marriages already and it was only 11pm. 

She was rinsing some glasses when a new group of patrons walked in, and Alex smelled trouble from the start. There were four of them, dressed as bikers in leather and torn jeans, and Alex noticed the other patrons slinking out of their path. “Crap,” she murmured under her breath. She watched as they went to the pool table—the boys who were currently playing ran off without an argument—and started playing. One of them sauntered over to the bar. 

“Beer for me and the boys,” he drawled, his eyes raking across Alex’s form. “Some entertainment would be nice also.” 

Alex felt her skin crawl. “Sorry, but you’re in the wrong place for that last part.” She stood up a little straighter, using her height to send a clear message. Don’t mess with me.

The man just grinned and moved back to the pool table. Alex grimaced, taking a pitcher to fill with beer and glasses for the group. 

They remained fairly well-behaved for a while, keeping to their game, but as another hour passed and the beer kept flowing, they became rowdier and rowdier. Alex was starting to wonder when Doc would be back. 

All of the other patrons had left for the night by the time they made their move. Alex was clearing glasses from the tables as one of the men blocked her path back to the bar. “Excuse me.” She tried sidestepping him, but he blocked her again. Getting a bad feeling, she turned but found her path back blocked by two others. She put the glasses she was holding onto a nearby table. “Look, I don’t know what the idea is, but I’m warning you. I’m not a girl you want to mess with.”

One of them, the one who talked to her at the bar, leered. “There’s only one of you and four of us. I like our odds.” He signalled his hand and the guy next to him rushed Alex, reaching out to grab her arm. Alex easily sidestepped and smacked her fist in his face, feeling the crunch of his nose. He dropped to the ground, holding his face as blood poured through his fingers. It shocked the other men for a moment before their leader yelled out, “Get her!”

It was the start of an all out brawl. Alex jumped over a table, putting some distance between her and the first two men, using her momentum to kick both her feet in another man’s chest, throwing him back. The second one swung at her head, which Alex just avoided and followed up with a kick to his ribs and a punch to his face. The guy with the broken nose had crawled back to his feet and had grabbed a pool cue from the table, coming at her with the cue stick held high above his head. Alex ducked underneath a table, wincing as the cue smacked onto the surface, splintering into tiny pieces. She came from underneath the table, throwing her shoulder into the leader, tackling him to the ground. He was a better fighter than the other three and managed to throw Alex off him. She landed with thud against a chair, the wind knocked out of her. 

As she got back to her feet, the foursome had recovered and surrounded her, looking very angry. “We were going to rob and rape you. Now we’re still going to do that but make you wish for death in the bargain!” The leader spat in a much deeper voice than before, his eyes glowing red. Alex blinked, was she imagining that? 

The man had grabbed a pool cue of his own and signalled his men to come for her again. They did it together, more careful. Alex sprung away from the first one who approached, and managed to land another solid punch on the second, but as she turned the leader brought down the pool cue on her back. Alex screamed out, dropping to her knees by the force of the impact. She glanced over her shoulder to see him lift the shattered remains of the wood to strike at her head. 

A gunshot rang out, startling them all. Blood splattered from the wound in the leader’s shoulder and he screamed, dropping the cue. 

“Purgatory Police! Get down!” Nicole, in full uniform, shouted, pointing her gun at the rest of them. Behind her stood Lonnie and Sherif Nedley, the latter gladly letting Nicole take the front. Even he had to admit that the woman looked intimidating when she was angry. 

Two of the men tried to flee, running to the back of the bar, only to run into Doc and Doll’s fists. “My my, gentlemen, leaving so soon?” Doc quipped. Dolls just shook his head, reaching for the unconscious men to drag them to the police car outside.

Nedley and Lonnie made quick work of the other two, leaving Nicole free to help Alex to her feet. “Let’s get you to the hospital,” the redhead said, taking her radio to call for an ambulance. 

Alex stopped her. “No. I don’t like hospitals. I’m fine.” She tried to stand on her own, but staggered, almost toppling back on the ground. 

Nicole held her up, getting her to sit on a chair. “Fine, my ass.” 

Waverly appeared next to them. “Those guys do look worse than you do. Good job!” 

That made Alex grin. “Thanks. I really am fine though, just need to get my bearings back.” She looked around at the broken furniture. “Damn … Not bad for a first day on the job.” 

“Don’t worry about that. Doc—I mean Henry—won’t mind.” Waverly mentally slapped herself at her slip. But on the other hand, Alex probably didn’t know who Doc Holliday was anyway.

Alex tried to stand again, glad to notice that her balance was improving. She stretched her shoulders and back, feeling her muscles pull in protest. She felt something wet seep between her shoulder blades. Some of the scabs she still had from her tattoo must have opened up again from the impact. 

“You’re bleeding,” Nicole mentioned, seeing the red spots on the back of Alex’s pale blue shirt. “Look, if you don’t want to go to the hospital, at least let me take a look at it.” Alex nodded her consent. Nicole left to exchange a couple of words with Nedley and Doc. “The sheriff can take care of the prisoners with Lonnie. My shift was over anyway. You can come home with us. I have a big first aid kit, and then I’ll drive you back to the motel. Deal?” 

When Alex nodded, Nicole and Waverly each took one of her arms and helped her walk outside. Alex hated to admit it, but the ground was still a bit fuzzy around the edges. 

As they went to Nicole’s cruiser, they passed Dolls, Doc and Wynonna outside. Doc tipped his head, Dolls just remained his stoic self and Wynonna grinned. “Good fight, kid!”

Alex dropped her eyes, blushing red at the praise. She got into the car and Nicole drove them to her house. 

Once there, Waverly went into the kitchen to make tea and Nicole helped Alex to the couch. Then she left to get her first aid kit from the bathroom. Alex looked around the room, taking in the spare decoration. Something bumping into her legs made her look down and smile at the ginger cat. “Hi there,” she said, holding her hand down. Jane sniffed at her fingers before rubbing her face against them, deciding that this was a good human. 

“Huh?” Nicole stood in the doorway, a red box in her hands. “Calamity Jane isn’t usually so forward with strangers. She must like you.” Or Waverly was rubbing off on her cat, also a possibility. The redhead placed the box on the table and started to rummage through it. 

Alex petted Jane a few moments longer, the cat purring as it rubbed against her legs. She then started to unbutton her shirt and slipped it from her shoulders. She winced when she heard Nicole’s sharp inhale. “That bad huh?” she half-joked.

Nicole trailed her fingertip along the top line of the tattoo, down to where the scabs were oozing blood. “This looks new.” It was the only thing she could think of saying. 

“Oh,” Waverly exclaimed. She approached them, handing Nicole an ice pack. “You’re a Thelemist.”

Alex looked over her shoulder at the brunette. “I’m surprised you know that.” She hissed through her teeth when Nicole started to clean the wounds with an antiseptic.

“That’s Greek,” Waverly pointed at the lettering on Alex’s lower back. “Thelema. Will.” She moved around the couch to sit on the coffee table, ready to hand Nicole whatever she needed from the kit. “Languages are kinda my thing … and history. Thelema was mentioned in my classes somewhere.” She handed Nicole some more gauze. “I don’t know much about it, though. Only that it has something to do with finding your true will. Is that why you came to Purgatory?” 

Alex just nodded, not wanting to delve into it further. The chances of her slipping up were to great. Waverly seemed to get it, as she stopped asking questions.

Nicole finished up and placed the ice pack across Alex's shoulder blades, making her let out a groan. “You'll feel that in the morning.” She helped Alex maneuver into her shirt, so that it kept the ice in place.

“Anyone want tea?” Waverly asked, already halfway to the kitchen.

“Sure.”

“Yes, please,” Nicole answered at the same time as Alex. The redhead turned back to her visitor, who leaned back against the couch, the ice blissfully numbing her back. “You’re lucky Mack decided to call us when he left Shorty’s. He didn't trust the situation, asked us to keep an eye out.” 

Alex laid her head back against the couch, eyes closed. “Normally, I could have handled them … Normally, if I punch a guy in the face, they stay down.” She took a breath, “But these weren't normal men, were they?”

“I don't know what you're talking about.” That didn't sound convincing even to her own ears, Nicole thought.

Alex grinned, peeking at the redhead with half lidded eyes. “Their leader. I swear I saw his eyes glow red.” She noticed Nicole’s flinch. “I'm a Thelemist. That means I believe in the supernatural. And there is something off about this town.” 

Waverly got back with a tray containing cups and the teapot, placing them on the table. “Then you're even more lucky you're still alive.” She took out her phone and texted Wynonna that at least one, possibly all, of those men were Revenants.

Nicole poured them all some tea, handing a cup to Alex. The woman sat up a bit straighter, closing her eyes for a moment as the world started swaying once more. “Easy there.” 

“Sorry, head rush,” Alex mumbled. She shook her head to clear it and then took the cup, gratefully sipping the hot liquid. 

“That’s it, you’re staying here. You can sleep on the couch. I’ll drive you back to the motel in the morning … If you can still move in the morning.” Nicole figured Alex’s back would be so bruised and seized up the woman would be lucky if she could get on her feet. She handed Alex some Vicodin, which she swallowed dry.

When they finished their tea, Alex was close to passing out, her head leaning against the back of the couch. Nicole helped her slip down to lay on her side, tucking a pillow under her head and covering her with a blanket. She was out in seconds.

“Wynonna texted back. She took care of the Revenants.” Waverly tucked herself against Nicole’s side. “What do we do about her?”

Nicole frowned, “She didn’t seemed too phased about dealing with demons. She might fit in here after all.” 

Waverly thought for a moment, gazing at the sleeping woman. “There’s something about her … something familiar.” She shook her head, “Maybe I’m just seeing things.”

“No,” Nicole interrupted. “I feel it too.” She pulled Waverly closer against her. “Come on, let’s get some sleep. It’s been a long day.” Waverly gladly agreed. Between researching cults, following up leads and battling Revenants, it was time to call it a day.

 

* * *

 

He stared up at the faded Purgatory sign, the light of the torches bringing out the gold in his kind, brown eyes. “Do you feel it, son?” He asked the younger man standing next to him. “Do you feel the power of the Ghost River Triangle?” 

The boy lifted up his hand to push down his hood, shaking out his reddish brown hair. “There’s someone already here. One of us,” he told his father, a hint of contempt in his voice.

The older man smiled fondly, “Nikky … She felt the call of Our Lord after all.” He glared at his son. “Rejoice, Victor. Our family will be reunited in the light of Lord Bulshar.” He stepped across the invisible barrier with confident steps.

Victor just grunted as he followed his father over the line and into the triangle.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thanks to everyone for the kudos and the comments. They really make a writer's day.
> 
> Here's the next part, hope you all like it. It brings in another of our beloved Wynonna Earp characters :)
> 
> Enjoy!

No matter how late they got to bed, Nicole was always awake at the crack of dawn. She used to use the extra time to go for a run ... or clean and oil her weapons. But since Waverly was in her life, and in her bed, Nicole enjoyed just snuggling up to her girlfriend, who slept like the dead. She forced herself out this morning, thinking of their guest downstairs. It was a cold morning and Nicole wanted the fire to be roaring before miss four blankets plus a bonus blanket got out of bed. After freshening up and getting dressed, she snuck downstairs. Seeing Alex still out of it, she silently stoked up the fire in the living room and retreated to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. 

Some time later she sat at her kitchen table with her laptop and a mug of coffee when a whimper caught her ear. She got up from the chair and went into the living room, seeing Alex toss and turn, caught in a nightmare. She sat down on the coffee table and gently shook the woman by the shoulder, trying to ease her awake. 

“No …” Alex was still lost to her nightmare, she mumbled, barely understandable. “Let her go … Aunt Wavey! No …” 

Nicole snapped her hand back. Did she just hear that right?

Alex inhaled sharply, her eyes opening, looking around in confusion. 

“Hey, it’s ok. You’re safe.” 

Alex settled down when her eyes fell on Nicole. “Shit,” she cursed, running her hand across her face, trying to slow down her breathing. “Sorry about that.” 

“That sounded like one hell of a dream.” Nicole’s mind was still processing what she just heard and, above all, what she should do with it. Alex started to move, rolling on her side to get up. She started to groan in pain and Nicole reached out to help her up. “You’ll be sore for a couple of days. I’ll get you some more ice.” She retreated back into the kitchen.

Alex groaned, dropping her head into her hands. As nightmares go, this was a bad one and Alex just hoped she didn’t call out or something. That would have blown her cover for sure. She knew it was a bad idea to stay over, but it wasn’t like she had any choice. 

While Nicole rummaged into the freezer she decided not to say anything for now. She wasn’t even sure she had understood it right. Aunt Wavey. Pfff, right. It could have easily been something else and Nicole associated it with Waverly, so her mind turned it into Wavey. 

But something set her instincts buzzing.

When she had retrieved the ice, she heard movement upstairs, signalling Waverly was up and about. She handed the ice to Alex, along with a mug of coffee and stoked the fire a bit more. “I’m going to get dressed for work,” she told Alex, before heading upstairs, hopefully still in time to join Waverly in the shower.

 

* * *

 

Kevin looked around the room as his acolytes prepared for the ceremony. They had found this abandoned building and claimed it as their headquarters. From here on out, they would find and free their Lord, restore his powers and bring forth the rebirth of the world. 

A young man, a mere boy, screamed as they dragged him inside, struggling in vain against the two black-clad acolytes holding him. They dragged him toward the fire, roaring inside of a circled pentagram. The rest of the acolytes kneeled around it, chanting in a language no longer spoken. 

Kevin stepped in front of their sacrifice and held up his hand. The chanting halted. The cult leader looked up at the rising sun, it’s rays just starting to show above the horizon. 

“In the light of our Lord!” Kevin chanted, his voice loud and clear. All the acolytes repeated after him. 

The boy had fallen silent in terror. 

“One more soul to join his heaven.” Again they repeated. Kevin reached into his wide sleeves and took out a shining dagger, gleaming in the the light of the fire. The boy started to struggle again.

“For the world. Our Lord. Our saviour.” In one quick motion, Kevin slit the boy’s throat, stepping out of the way to let the blood pour into the fire. It sizzled and smoked.

After a minute or so, Kevin nodded at the two men to drop the body into the fire. He stared at the flames for a few moments more before disbanding the acolytes and calling his son to him. “When the fire dies down, dispose of the remains. Take it somewhere easy to find.” 

“Easy to find for her?” Victor asked. “I heard she’s the Sheriff's deputy. So I bet she already knows we’re here.” He was sneering. Figures his sister would rise through the ranks so quickly. She was always the golden child. 

Up until she ran away and betrayed her own family.

Kevin grabbed his son by the neck, squeezing just a little too hard. “Your sister was misguided. But she will rejoin our ranks. You’ll see, she will have no choice in the end.”  He released the boy and patted his cheek. “Come on, do your job. I have a meeting to get to.” 

Victor nodded and left, keeping his eyes down so as not to anger his father even more. He wasn’t about to roll over and surrender while his deviant sister waltzed right back in. He was the eldest, he had the right to be head acolyte.

As he walked out of the building, he saw several figures enter. Demons, revenants … They must be who his father was seeing. He should be there. As second in line, he should be there. 

Victor sneered, realizing that his father was keeping him in the dark once more. And that was all because of  _ her _ .

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Are you sure you’re ok to drive your bike?” Nicole asked one last time. She was already in uniform, ready to start her shift of the day.

Alex nodded. “I’ll manage. It’s not far to the motel and I need to talk to Henry first.” 

Nicole conceded and  handed Alex her card through her rolled-down window, “Call me if you need anything, alright?” After Alex took the card, Nicole headed for the station.

Alex watched the cruiser until it turned the corner and turned to find Doc standing on the porch of Shorty’s, throwing the remains of a broken chair on the pile outside. “Sorry ‘bout that.” She made her way over to him, still moving a bit stiffly. 

Doc gave her a smile, “No bother. I’m glad to see you up and about.” He waved her inside, grabbing two glasses from behind the bar and pouring a decent amount of whiskey in them. “I know it’s early, but you look like you can use it.” 

Alex grinned, taking a seat on a stool and accepted the glass. She toasted her glass against Doc’s and took a sip, grimacing when it burned down her throat. “Whew … This is the good stuff.”

“I think you deserve some of the good stuff after last night.” Doc took a drink from his own glass. “Sorry about last night. Those … people … rarely venture into this bar. They must have known you’d be here alone.” Doc knew them on sight and would shoot them the moment they stepped inside. And for some reason they stayed away while Rosita was behind the bar, probably recognizing one of their own. “But you put them in their place, so I doubt they’d try that again.”

Alex gave a short, dark laugh. “If the cops hadn’t shown up when they did, I’d be dead. But I appreciate the praise.”

Doc drained his glass and pulled a wad of bills out of his pocket, handing them to Alex. “Your wage for last night. You know, several patrons have asked if you’d be here again, tonight.”

Alex counted out the money and arched an eyebrow. This was a lot of money. “You want me to work for you?” 

Doc shrugged, “Only to man the bar. I’m sure you could use the extra cash.” He reached into his pocket for a light and lit his cigarette. “That motel doesn't pay for itself.”

Alex thought it over for a moment. “Ok. Sign me up.” It was an opportunity to get even more into the community at least.

Doc smiled and dipped his hat.

The door opened and the Earp sisters sauntered in. Doc wordlessly grabbed two more glasses, refilling his own glass while he was at it. The sisters each took a stool on Alex’s side, and Alex tried not to tense up. 

Wynonna nudged Alex’s shoulder. “Hey, you fighting machine. Heard you’re one of the few people we don’t have to be hush-hush around about what’s really going on in this town.”

Doc sighed, knowing where this was going. And honestly, they needed all the help they could get in their fight against the demons. “Try not to get my new mixologist killed.”

Alex chuckled and ran a hand through her hair. “You mean about this place being   Supernatural Central? I had that figured out my first night here. You know the owner of the motel is a Kuvar? Harmless beings, really, but still … It’s like they’re being drawn to this place. They’re everywhere.” And most looked human enough, unless you knew what to look for. 

Wynonna gaped at her with her mouth open. “I knew we still needed someone like you. You can sniff them out, I can make them dead.” To put some more weight to her words, she took out Peacemaker, setting it on the bar. 

Alex felt her eyes go wide, seeing the legendary gun. “No!” She called out, making Wynonna frown. “They’re not all bad. Most just want a quiet life, to be left alone. I’ll help you take out the bad ones, if you want, but …” she let the sentence hang and took a drink from her glass.

“Okay …” Wynonna drawled after a few moments, thinking it through. It did make sense, Dolls was probably some sort of demon dragon thingy and she trusted him with her life. “You know a lot about these things.” She took Peacemaker and held it a bit closer to Alex.

“Yeah. I’ve been around,” Alex noticed the gun being held towards her. “Why are you pointing that gun at me?” Wynonna shrugged and poked Peacemaker against Alex’s arm. Nothing happened. 

“Just checking something,” Wynonna said with a grin and put the gun back inside her boot. She wasn’t about to risk another Rosita getting close to her or her family. “So, I bet you haven’t come across Revenants before?”

“Those red eyed guys? No. I take it they’re local.” 

Wynonna motioned for Waverly to get started on the story. She was always the better storyteller of the two. Waverly launched into their family's history, with Alex pretending that she hadn’t already heard it all before.

 

* * *

 

Nicole crouched down beside the charred remains, noting down her findings on a pad. It looked like a young male, but ID-ing him wouldn’t be easy. He was burned beyond recognition and the only clothing that was still more or less intact were his hiking shoes. A backpacker that went missing on the trails … That wasn’t much to go on. 

“Bag and tag him?” The coroner asked her.

Nicole stood and pulled off her gloves, nodding at the man to get to work. She went back to her car, planning to radio in her findings. Lonnie had worked late last night and was still at home. As was Nedley. They really needed to get some more people.

When she got to her car, there was a note stuck under her windshield. Nicole frowned and looked around, her hand going to the hilt of her gun. Once certain she wasn’t in immediate danger, she took and unfolded the note.

_ Corner 8th and Main, One hour, come alone. I have information. _

Nicole put the note in her pocket and got in her car, getting on the radio like she had planned to. Then she started the car and drove off, wondering who could have placed that note. She knew it could be a trap, the Cult baiting her. But if it wasn’t .... They needed all the information they could get.

Exactly one hour later, she pulled up at the location. It was at the edge of town in a fairly open area. That put her a bit at ease. The area didn’t lend itself to an ambush.

Still, Nicole pulled her gun as she got out of the car. There was a figure lurking against the nearby building, hidden in the shadows. Nicole took a couple of steps forward. “Ok, I’m here and I’m alone. Your turn.” The figure pushed off the wall and stepped into the light. Nicole gasped and lowered her gun just a bit, “Rosita?” She lifted her gun again, keeping the revenant in her sights. She took in her appearance. Rosita looked haggard, her hair unkempt and dark circles under her eyes. Living on the run didn’t agree with her.

Rosita stared the redhead down with tired eyes. “I was hoping you would be the one who didn’t pull a gun on me.” She started, disheartened. “But I guess nobody cares about the good I tried to do anymore. I helped to save your life, remember?”

“Then you betrayed us. You attacked Waverly … Wynonna. You tried to take Alice!” 

Rosita shrugged, “I had no choice. But what did it matter anyway. I’m branded a traitor … By everyone.” She shook her head, murmuring to herself, “I don’t know what I was thinking.” 

“Wait!” Nicole took a breath and sheathed her gun. “You’re right. I’m sorry … I won’t try to shoot you. Can’t say the same for Wynonna, though.” 

Rosita gave a humorless laugh. “I bet.” She closed her eyes for a moment, glad to have this moment of peace and quiet. “That body you just found. I know who killed him.” She looked at Nicole. “He was sacrificed by a cult. Black-clad freaks. They’re dangerous. Their leader …” She saw Nicole wince, “You already knew that.”

Nicole nodded, “They worship Bulshar … Demon Clootie. They’ve been getting closer and closer to Purgatory. I guess this means they’re here.” 

“They’re allying themselves with the Revenants. And some other rogue demons from inside the Triangle. Offering them protection from the Heir.”

Nicole cursed. That was bad news. “How do you know that?” She was feeling worried and thus had to admit to herself that she still considered Rosita a friend. 

Rosita grinned, “I still have my charm. Even if most of my people want me dead. I snuck my way into the meeting … Hoping they might offer a way out of this cursed Triangle.” And they did, only it involved letting a demon that could potentially ruin the world out of its cage. And Rosita wasn’t feeling like letting that happen. There was something else on her mind, “One of those freaks was a young man. A ginger. He reminded me of you. In fact, for a second there I thought it was you.” 

“My brother, Victor.” Nicole grimaced when admitting it, but she felt like Rosita deserved to know everything. She had taken a big risk coming to her with this information.

It took a moment for Rosita to form a reply, her mouth forming a perfect O before snapping shut. “I was so not expecting that. You’re all goody-two-shoes …” 

“And I was raised in a demon cult. Surprise! You see their leader, btw? If that was also a ginger, congratulations ... you met the whole trinity of Haughts,” Nicole snapped sarcastically, moving back to her car. She took a breath and looked back to Rosita. “Watch out after yourself, ok? And call me if you need anything.” 

“Will you tell the others you saw me?” Rosita was touched by the redhead’s offer. 

Nicole got into her cruiser. “I don’t know yet,” she answered honestly, before driving away, leaving Rosita to slink back into the shadows. It was true, Rosita did a horrible thing. But she had come through for her, suffering terrible pain to help Jeremy test the cure that would save her life. So yes, she was a Revenant. And Wynonna would shoot her on sight. Waverly might too, she concluded. And be very, very mad when she found out Nicole had stayed silent about talking to her. 

This was all so fucked-up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feed the author ;)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really, really sorry for the delay. I got sidetracked by another story I'm working on. So here is chapter 5. 
> 
> Chapter 6 is almost finished, I promise!!
> 
> As always, please feed the author. Your comments and/or kuddos make our day(

The next morning, Alex woke up in her motel room groaning and grabbing at her head. She rolled out of bed and dragged her way to the bathroom, dry swallowing some tylenol from the bottle and splashing her face with cold water. “Stupid, Al.” She mumbled to herself, looking at her bloodshot eyes in the mirror. She looked like a mess. Felt like one too.

She got the full intro into the Earp history, met up with everyone from BBD, got a look at the ongoing case files and joined the crew for a celebration drink at Shorty’s afterwards. That drink lasted a bit too long though and damn, those people could hold their liquor. She wondered if any of them felt half as bad as she did right now.

In the past (or future, depending how you look at things) she had seen her aunt drink guys twice her size under the table. Waverly always said her sister was even worse. But if it was a family trait, Alex had skipped out on it.

Taking a cup from the sink, Alex filled it with water and gulped it down, following it up with another. Hopefully that would battle the hangover. She shed the rest of her clothes and jumped into the shower, getting herself ready to face the day. She finally got into BBD, now it was time to make the most of it.

 

* * *

 

At the Earp Homestead, things went about like they usually did. Waverly was making breakfast, happy and cheerful like always, with Nicole, who was slightly paler and unsteady on her feet. The redhead had learned to stop the flow of alcohol in time to avoid a major hangover, but she still felt it. Though it was nothing a good breakfast wouldn’t cure. They made enough for Wynonna too, when she finally decided to drag herself out of bed.

Nicole flipped a pancake and turned her head to look at Waverly, “Did we do the right thing? Bringing Alex into the fold?” When Waverly arched an eyebrow, she continued, “It’s just. We haven’t known her long, and yeah, she does know about the supernatural, but … Weren’t we a bit fast to trust her?”

“She’s not a demon. Wynonna checked. And … I don’t know. I feel like we can trust her.” Waverly leaned against the stove, sipping her coffee.

Sliding the pancake onto a plate, Nicole poured more batter into the pan. “I have the same feeling. But isn’t that strange?” Her gut instinct was telling her something was off. “I ran her name through an international database. Couldn’t find anything about an Alex Gibson.”

“Doesn’t that just prove she hasn’t been arrested before?”

“Yeah …” Nicole admitted, “But Alex doesn’t seem like the type to have never been arrested before. Not even a parking ticket on her name.” She put the last pancake onto the pile and turned down the stove, taking the plate to the table.

Waverly joined her girlfriend and they started eating, both deciding to let the matter lie for now. When they were finished, Nicole went upstairs to put on her uniform. When she returned, she gave Waverly a kiss. “See you at the office?”

Waverly smiled into the kiss and nodded at the question. “Yeah … Love you, officer Haught.” She was seriously developing a thing for women in uniform. Well, one particular woman in uniform anyway.

Nicole grinned back and swiped her hat from the countertop. She left the house with an extra sway in her hips, knowing hazel eyes were following her every move.

 

* * *

 

By the time Alex managed to drag herself over to the Sheriff's office it was almost noon and she stopped by the diner to pick up burgers and fries for everyone. She found Nicole at the front desk and handed her a take-out bag, the redhead giving her a bright smile in thanks. She entered the door to the BBD section of the station and found Jeremy and Waverly hunched over some books. Dolls was cleaning his gun at his desk while eying Wynonna, who sat back in a chair, feet propped on the desk and looking utterly bored as she twirled that huge gun around in her hand. Wynonna jumped up when she saw Alex enter, “Food! Thank god!” Alex snickered and handed her a bag. She dropped a bag on Doll’s desk and walked over to the table, handing out her remaining burgers.

“What’s that?” Alex asked as she leant over the table to look at a really big, old book. “The Cult of Mezraa Tepe, huh. Any link to Clootie?” she mentioned casually, rummaging in her own take-out bag and stuffing some fries into her mouth.

Waverly’s eyes widened in surprise. “You can read ancient Sumerian?”

“It’s not really Sumerian, it’s Hasuna. But many people get those two mixed … up … What?” Alex felt her throat go dry when all eyes turned on her and she had to swallow a couple of times to get her fries down. “Uhm … my aunt taught me.” She shrugged, trying to downplay it, then decided to just roll with it. “It also helps that I suffer from hyperthymesia … Which means that I remember almost every detail about every day since the day I was born.” She ran a hand through her hair and exhaled.  

“Is that a real thing?” It was Wynonna who recovered first. She looked at her sister for confirmation, who nodded. “Cool.” She took another bite from her burger.

Alex grimaced, “Not so cool really. But it has its perks.” Like the ability to recall every ancient text Waverly had her niece read to learn the old languages. Like she knew Alex would need them one day. The downside were the nightmares of death and destruction.

She decided to return the attention to the matter at hand. That was finding and stopping the cult. “Look, we know Bulshar is locked away safely for the moment, but we need to find out how they’re planning to resurrect him. These old texts might give us some clues. Maybe it’s been done before. Hopefully, we can predict their next move, preferably before more bodies turn up.”

“The cult is allying itself with the Revenants,” Nicole said from the doorway suddenly, causing all eyes to turn her way. She’d been following the conversation from her desk outside and decided that it wasn’t right to keep what she knew to herself. She just hoped nobody would kill her, Wynonna in particular.

Wynonna frowned, “How the hell do you know that, Haughtstuff?” Nicole looked at her with a grimace on her face and she leaned closer, not sure if Wynonna wanted to hear what she had to say.

“I found a note underneath my windshield yesterday, after we found the burned body. It was someone wanting to meet, someone who had information.”

“You didn’t just go and meet them, alone, did you? Do you know how dangerous that could have been? What if it was the cult? What if they tried to take you?” Waverly was seething, thinking about all that could have happened. She slammed her hands down on the table, glaring at Nicole, causing her to wince. “I thought I fell for the smart one this time.”

“It was fine, Waves. I staked out the location first. If there was something fishy about it, I would have just drove away.” Nicole defended herself, though a part of her knew it was a risky move. “We need all the info we can get. I needed to know.” She reached back to steady herself against the doorway, “I need to stop them.” Her voice cracked on the last word. Them. Her family.

Waverly sighed and went to her, wrapping Nicole into a hug. “We will.” She stressed the we.

Dolls cleared his throat, “Who sent you the message? Did you find out?”

Nicole held on to Waverly and nodded, looking from Dolls to Wynonna. “Rosita.”

As expected, Wynonna jumped from her chair and stormed towards Nicole. “Rosita? You saw that bitch yesterday and you didn’t tell me? You let her walk?” She huffed and paced the other way, pulling her gun out of her boot. “I have a bullet with her name on it right here!”

“She approached me because she figured I’m the only one who wouldn’t shoot her on sight. Cause of what she did for me. And she was right, I owed her that much!” Nicole glanced at her girlfriend, hoping to find some support there, but Waverly’s expression was hard to read.

Alex looked at the confrontation with a frown. “Who’s Rosita?” she asked no one in particular. That was a name she hadn’t heard before.

Jeremy stood the closest and answered, “She was a friend. Turned out to be a Revenant, but a good one, or something … Then she went all Benedict Arnold on us and tried to steal Wynonna’s baby.” He got a glare from Wynonna for that. “Right, Jeremy … stop talking now,” he mumbled to himself.

Dolls stood up, leaning on his desk. He, too, owed Rosita a great deal and found it hard to see her as a traitor. “Rosita might know where to find them. Or be able to find out. I can’t imagine the other Revenants taking her back in. They never really did, as far as I know. She’s still too … human.” She had told him that she only resurrected once, staying as far away from the Earps as she could inside the Triangle. It kept her mostly human.

With a scowl on her face, Wynonna put her gun back into her boot and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Fine. I won’t try to shoot her. For now.” She pointed at Nicole, “but you’re still in the doghouse, Haughtdog!” She didn’t look too angry … and her gun was still in place, so Nicole figured it would be safe. Waverly still hadn’t said anything however.

“So how are we gonna do this? Get Rosita to help us. It’s not like she’ll actually trust me … or me her,” Wynonna continued.

“We need to offer her something.” Dolls spoke slow and steady, his eyes not leaving Wynonna. “The same thing Doc first offered her … Protection.”

Wynonna huffed, “I can’t give her that. She’s a Revenant, I need to kill her to break the curse.”

“Not necessarily.”

Wynonna looked behind her at her sister, who took a breath to continue. “Remember that BBD guy. He said there was another way. And Clootie is involved somehow. What if we can break the curse without killing all the Revenants?”

“It’s still a big if. But it would make things a lot easier.” They still had a lot of Revenants to go before they reached nr 77. Wynonna sighed, “Someone needs to find her and let her know what we’re up to. And someone needs to tell Doc.”

Alex raised her hand the same time Jeremy did. The man smiled sheepishly, lowering his hand. “I can tell Doc.” At Wynonna’s wave, he rushed out of the room.

“What’s up with him?” Alex asked.

Wynonna shrugged, “It’s Jeremy … Sometimes it’s better not to ask. In fact, it usually is.”

“Okay …” Alex shook her head. “What I meant to say is, I can go find this Rosita person. I’m still pretty new in this area and I’m sure I can walk around in the seedier areas without attracting too much attention.”

“I’ll go with you,” Waverly offered, holding out a hand to halt any protest from both her sister and her girlfriend. “My face is the least likely to get noticed. We’ll find Rosita and bring her here.”

Nicole sighed and nodded, knowing it would be useless to resist. “Please be careful.”

Waverly smiled up at her and stood on her tiptoes, placing a soft kiss on Nicole’s lips. “Always.” She ignored Wynonna’s grimace and murmur of ‘too cute’ and left the room, Alex in tow.

 

* * *

 

“So … Wynonna had a baby? And this Rosita tried to steal it? Why?” Alex asked, glancing at Waverly who was behind the wheel of her red car.

It took Waverly a moment to reply, still figuring out if she trusted Alex enough to come out with that story. “That story is mostly Wynonna’s to tell, but I can tell you this: I think Rosita was out of options. That baby would get her back in good graces with her kind, or so she thought. But she didn’t want to do it, I saw it in her eyes. There’s a reason I missed the shot.”

“You tried to shoot her?”

Waverly nodded with a grimace. “The first time Peacemaker reacted to me. But my heart wasn’t in it and the shot only grazed her head. In retrospect I’m glad I didn’t kill her. Don’t think I would have been able to forgive myself.”

Alex sat back in her seat, trying to reconcile what she was hearing with the memories of her first day. The scent of gunpowder, sweat and what was most likely fear and adrenaline.

Waverly parked the car at the edge of town, not too far from were Nicole had met with Rosita, and the two women got out.

For the next hour, Alex followed Waverly through the backstreets of Purgatory. Through alleys and bars, stripjoints and even seedier places, Waverly asking questions here and there but never staying at one place long enough to arouse suspicion. Only once did someone recognize the youngest Earp, but a well-aimed punch from Alex shut the man up before he could shout out to his friends. It started a bar fight, but Alex and Waverly managed to slip out of it easily. “That was fun,” Waverly quipped as they strolled away from the brawl. Alex just chuckled and shook her head.

They were about to call it a day and were walking back to the car when Waverly spotted someone lurking in the shadows, in clear sight of their car.

“I’m not armed, if that’s what you’re worried about,” the figure called out. “Why are you looking for me?” Rosita was on her guard. Understandable, Waverly did shoot at her the last time they met.

Waverly huffed and crossed her arms, standing her ground. “It wasn’t like you gave me any choice, you know.” She glanced back at Alex, who was squinting through the dusk, trying to see the other woman.

Rosita did the same, studying the stranger. “Who’s your new friend?” The woman was tall, with dark hair and blue eyes. “You’re the one who beat up Rave and his band of misfits aren’t you? I heard Wynonna put a bullet between their eyes.”

“Pfff … I didn’t do much in the sense of beating up. I was mostly stalling, trying not to die and glad help showed up.” Alex gave a short laugh. “I had no idea what Revenants were, only that those guys weren’t human. And yeah, Wynonna finished them.”

“Good.” Rosita nodded. She never liked those guys, or any of the other Revenants. “My first question again, why did you come here?”

“You gave Nicole some vital information. I’m pretty sure that won’t go over well with your people. I’m here to offer a truce, to offer you protection,” Waverly said.

Rosita scoffed at that. “It’s Wynonna’s job to shoot me. So how protected would that be?” It did sound promising, the chance to rest her head in peace for more than a few hours at a time. She took a step forward, into the fast fading daylight.

Waverly felt bad for Rosita, the woman clearly had a rough time. “We might be able to break the curse without killing all the Revenants. I can’t make any promises, but we’re trying to find another way. And Wynonna promised not to shoot you.” She could tell Rosita was thinking about it.

After a few moments of consideration, Rosita nodded. “Ok … It’s not like I have anything to lose.” And that was true. Even if Wynonna decided to shoot her, she’d probably be better off. It's not like hell was any worse than the life she was leading now.

Mind made up, the three woman got into Waverly’s car and drove back to the station.

Rosita was hiding behind Alex’s tall frame as the trio made their way into the station. To say the woman was nervous was an understatement. Understandable, considering everything. As they went into the BBD office, Rosita kept her eyes to the floor. She glanced up when they passed Jeremy’s desk, the man giving her an awkward wave.

Doc stayed against the back wall. He was conflicted with how he felt about the woman and, being the rugged cowboy that he was, didn’t deal with his emotions well.

Waverly immediately went to Nicole, falling into her arms. The redhead looked at Rosita, who met her gaze with a nod in greeting. Nicole took a deep breath, holding her girlfriend a bit tighter.

Rosita dropped her head again when she spotted the woman she most feared seeing again, still not very confident Wynonna would keep her gun in its holster. Wynonna took a step towards her, opening her mouth to say something. Shaking her head, she snapped it shut again and stormed out of the room, all eyes following her.

Jeremy cleared his throat, “That went well,” he piped. All eyes turned to him. “It did! No one got shot.”

Dolls patted him on the shoulder, “Maybe it’s time we all get some sleep and tackle this with fresh eyes in the morning.” He looked at Doc, trying to figure out how the man was feeling right now. “Hey Doc? Are you ok with Rosita sleeping in your basement? The three of us …” he indicated Jeremy “... Can stay over in one of the rooms above Shorty’s.” He didn’t need to add that it was to keep an eye on their freshly allied Revenant.

Doc nodded and pushed himself from the wall, walking out of the room. He stopped when he passed Rosita, still not looking at the now trembling woman. “Try anything like that again and I’ll make sure Wynonna’s bullet will seem like a blessing.” It was spoken slow and in a low voice, the threat unmistakable. He walked out of the room, and Rosita swallowed audibly.

Dolls and Jeremy glanced at each other and shrugged. “Come on. Let’s get out of here,” Dolls said, leading the way. Rosita gave the others a meek smile and followed.

“Wow,” Alex exclaimed. “That was … ugly.”

Waverly nodded, “I’m going to check up on Wynonna and take her home.”

Nicole kept hold of her, shaking her head. “Maybe we should let her cool down first.” She looked into Waverly’s concerned eyes.

“You guys go home,” Alex offered. “I’ll watch after Wynonna and take her home in her truck.” As far as these people knew, she was the farthest removed from the situation. Maybe she’ll be able to calm Wynonna down.

After a few moments of considering, Waverly gave her a smile. “Ok, thank you.” She stepped away from Nicole and took Alex into a hug. Nicole placed a hand on the younger woman’s shoulder, took Waverly by the hand as they separated and led them out of the room.

Alex took a breath and went in search of Wynonna, who she found in a back room sitting on the ground against the wall, sipping bourbon right out of a bottle. “Are you ok? Can’t have been easy to see Rosita again.”

Wynonna looked up at the younger woman and shrugged. “Brought back feelings. Ugh …” She lifted the bottle to her lips and took another drink. “I don’t do feelings.” She was starting to slur her words.

Alex sunk down on the ground next to her, taking the bottle when Wynonna offered it to her and took a sip. “Doc offered her the basement of Shorty’s. The guys will make sure she’s never there alone. Nicole is taking Waverly to the homestead. She asked me to take you back … if that’s ok with you?”

Giving another shrug, Wynonna took the bottle back and stared into the distance. “It’s just not fair!” she said suddenly. Alex looking at her in confusion. “Alice … My daughter … She wasn’t planned, not by far, but … I had to give her up to keep her safe. And I need to break this curse to bring her home.” She lifted the bottle back to her lips, but didn’t protest when Alex intercepted it and placed it on the ground on her other side. “Yet at every turn there are more demons and cults and … Rosita’s …” She turned to look at Alex, “You’re not a liar are you? Alex? You won’t go and stab us in the back, right?”

Alex winced on the inside. She hasn’t been telling the full truth, but she would never stab them in the back. “I won’t. I swear.” She watched as Wynonna nodded, growing pensive again. Alex pulled herself off the ground and reached down to help Wynonna up. “Gimme your keys. I’ll drive us to the homestead.” Wynonna dropped them into her outstretched hand.

They walked outside, Wynonna leaning on Alex a few times, having drunk too much too fast even for her. Alex got her in the truck and drove them to the Earp homestead. There, she helped Wynonna inside and up the stairs, dropping the woman on her bed. Wynonna kicked off her boots and shrugged out of her jacket. “Thanks, kid,” she told Alex as she laid down on top of the covers, too wasted to crawl under them.

Alex looked around, her eye falling on a blanket. She took it and laid it over Wynonna, who was out like a light. She sat down on the edge of the bed for a moment, staring at the sleeping woman. At that moment, looking at Wynonna’s profile, Alex realised she had her mother’s nose. She never noticed that before. Feeling a tear run down her cheek, Alex quickly wiped it away. She pulled the blanket a bit tighter across Wynonna’s shoulders and stood, leaving the room and closing the door behind her. She went downstairs and laid down on the couch, waiting for sleep that wouldn’t come.

 

* * *

 

Victor leaned back against the wall, hidden in the shadows by his black cloak. He stared at the demons gathered in the room, volatile and vile creatures if you asked him. They were arguing amongst themselves with fights breaking out here and there. Acolytes like himself stood by to break them up if it got too rough.

Shaking his head, Victor wondered why his father allied himself with them. When their Lord rises again, all will be beneath them. Lord Bulshar’s most loyal followers would lead this world into a new age, a new Utopia. His father claimed they needed the demons, Victor was sure they could do it alone. Their faith should be enough.

Of all the demons present, Victor despised the Revenants the most. They were rodents in his eyes, vermin that needed to be exterminated. But most of them weren't very smart and there were a lot of them to spare. They could be useful as cannon-fodder, at least.

Taking a breath, he moved from his place towards his father, who was in conversation with a demon twice his size. “Father … I believe we’re one Revenant short. A woman. Short and dark. She was here last time.”

Kevin nodded, “Yes. I had noticed.” He looked at the demon, “Do you know who I’m talking about?” When the demon nodded, he continued. “Take a group of those misfits with you. Find her and kill her … And while you're at it, get the word out that the same fate awaits all who refuses to ally themselves with us. They have 48 hours before the hunt begins.” The demon bowed his head and left, pushing several Revenants forward on his way to take with him. Victor watched them leave, doing a terrible job of hiding his disgust.

“I don't like them either, son. But they are a necessary evil … for now.” The elder Haught placed a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Follow them. See how they work, how they act. Report back if they run into trouble. Do not let yourself be seen.” He knew it was one of his son’s greatest skills. Unfortunately, one of his only skills.

Glad to finally receive an assignment, Victor bowed to his father and ran out. Kevin shook his head sadly. His greatest hope as a successor, a glorified boy scout. He sighed, missing the calm and confident presence of his daughter by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> Here's part 6 ... And it's a big one. Be prepared for angst and feels ... 
> 
> And finally the big reveal!
> 
> Enjoy!

“The Revenants are looking for Bobo.” Rosita was sitting quite uncomfortably in a chair at BBD, trying not to notice Wynonna glaring at her from the other side of the room. She looked a bit better this morning, after a shower and a good night's sleep. The spare clothes she left at Shorty’s were still there, to her own delight. Doc had just tossed them in a box and forgot about them.

It was a surprise when the new girl came to get her this morning, armed with coffee and doughnuts for her and the boys. She introduced herself again as Alex, though a small twinge in the corner of her eye betrayed to Rosita that she wasn't completely truthful about that. Alex tossed her a helmet and Rosita smiled when the tall woman straddled her bike, climbing up behind her and holding tight on the way to the station. It felt good to be close to someone, after so many months on the run. And even before that, well, Doc wasn't a man who shared himself easily. They just used each other, that was obvious from the start.

Rosita looked up to where Alex was standing, hunched over some dusty old books with Waverly and wondered what the woman was hiding. It couldn't be too bad, she didn't have the aura of a saint, but not that of a demon either. But there was something about her …

She focused back on the conversation at hand. “They need Bobo to tell them where Bulshar is. And to rally the stragglers behind their cause, use them as guards while they resurrect him. Or as sacrifices … I’m not really sure which.”

Dolls frowned. They needed to move Bobo to a safer location soon. Maybe he could get some old BBD black site or something. Bobo Del Rey was too dangerous to hold somewhere else. “Do they know where to start looking?”

“Not that I know. Without Bobo to lead them, the Revenants are no threat. They keep fighting amongst themselves. This cult leader though …” Rosita hesitated, hoping Nicole had shown her cards to her friends.

“We know. Officer Haught told us.” Dolls read her well.

Letting out a breath of relief, Rosita continued. “He drives a good bargain. Promising to break the curse, to let us out into the world. To live on this world like gods, ruling men.” She fell silent, imagining the possibilities. Then she shook her head, “I haven’t fought so hard to retain my humanity just to let a demon waltz all over this world.”

No one noticed Alex clenching her hands into fists, her nails digging into her palms. She took a deep breath to try and calm herself, willfully relaxing her fingers. They couldn’t let that happen. Not again.

“We’ll stop them.” It was Waverly who spoke, the rest giving nods in agreement. Even Wynonna could tell Rosita was being truthful. She didn't trust her quite yet, but they could work with that. Common goal and all.

Dolls stood and took his jacket. “I’m going to check up on Bobo. See if we can find him a safer location. Jeremy? You're with me.” The young man jumped to his feet in joy and scrambled to put on his coat. Dolls blew out a breath in mock annoyance as

Jeremy skipped out of the room with a grin on his face. Dolls followed, still shaking his head.

“How about the rest of us head for Shorty’s? We can let Doc know what’s up and get some food,” Nicole said.

No one found any flaws with her idea and they left the station, heading for their cars. Just as Alex reached her bike, a noise from the alley got her attention. She frowned, signaling the others. “You guys hear that?”

Waverly nodded and went into the alley to check it out.

“Waverly? … Sure, go run into dark alleys without a thought. It’s not like anything dangerous could be lurking there,” Nicole mumbled, following her. Alex chuckled and followed, Wynonna and Rosita behind her.

Waverly stopped when she hit the next street, seeing several cats running between the trash cans. She smiled, “Oh, it’s just some cats.” She turned toward the others, about to tell them to go back, when a man appeared behind them, cutting off their retreat. The look on Waverly’s face gave Nicole all the warning she needed.

Nicole pulled her gun and pivoted, taking a step in front of Waverly. “He’s not alone,” Waverly said. Seeing motion to her right, Nicole turned and aimed her gun, letting out a curse when two more men appeared, their eyes glowing red. Several others came from all sides.

Realizing they were surrounded, Wynonna took Peacemaker from her boot. Seven or so revenants, nothing they hadn’t handled before. “You boys really want to do this?” They grinned … And Wynonna didn’t like it.

“We don’t … But he does.” One of the revenants called out in a deep voice, nodding his head. They heard heavy footsteps headed their way and Wynonna’s eyes widened when the demon came into sight. He was tall, a seven footer at least, and built like a brick shithouse. His face was square and squashed in, with no visible nose or ears. Wynonna wondered how the hell something as big and ugly like that could hide in a town like Purgatory. But then again, it’s Purgatory.

Waverly gasped, “That’s a troll.”

“Seriously? … Trolls? …” Wynonna blew out a breath. “This town just gets weirder and weirder.” She pointed her gun at its head. “But I bet they still die if I put a bullet through their head.”

The troll didn’t step back. “You can try. But others will take my place. We just want _her_.” He pointed at Rosita, who swallowed and seemed to collapse into herself in fear.

Alex threw herself in front of the petite woman, blocking her from sight. “Like hell you will!” She glared at Wynonna, daring her to say something different.

Wynonna just shrugged. She didn’t like Rosita, but giving her up for slaughter wasn’t exactly her thing either. “Nope, not gonna happen,” she agreed. She felt the fight commence, as Peacemaker started to hum and turn golden. The troll rushed them, moving quicker than you’d think for something its size. The revenants followed.

Peacemaker fired, the bullet missing the troll and ending up in one of the revenants. “Huh?” Wynonna muttered, having missed her planned shot. She didn’t get much time to contemplate it, having to scramble to avoid the troll’s fist. She rolled underneath his arm.

Alex appeared at her side when she regained her footing, “Help with the revenants. I’ve got this!” Any objection Wynonna had went out the window when Alex pushed her toward the others and ran at the troll.

“Ok … Have fun!” Wynonna quipped, then pointed Peacemaker at the revenants and started shooting.

Pulling a knife from her boot, Alex ducked beneath the troll’s arm, slid on her knees between his legs and stabbed her knife in the back of his knee. She used her momentum to roll back onto her feet, closing her fingers around the hilt of her bloody knife and grinned when the now supremely pissed off troll turned to face her way. “Now we dance, pretty boy.” The troll roared and charged her.

Nicole was taking shots at every revenant who got close while Waverly had found a piece of rusty pipe to use as a bat. The two tried to fight their way to Rosita, who was being overwhelmed by three revenants. She was kicking and punching, but demons don’t stay down easy. Waverly threw herself in front of Rosita, slamming her pipe against a revenant’s head with a sickening crunch. “Nicole! Help Alex!” The redhead looked to her side and nodded. She took one last shot at a revenant creeping up behind Waverly, blowing out his kneecap, and ran towards the troll, slamming a fresh clip into her gun.

The troll was roaring and howling, trying to dislodge Alex, who was clinging to his back, holding on to the bloody hilt of her knife, now lodged in the troll’s shoulder. Nicole started shooting, aiming for the creature’s legs so she wouldn’t hit Alex, each shot taking out chunks of its flesh. Yet it barely acknowledged it.

With blood making everything slick, Alex felt herself losing her grip and slipping to the side. The troll managed to grab hold of her leg and pulled, throwing Alex toward Nicole, who couldn’t dodge out of the way in time. The two crashed into the wall with a sickening splat.

Seeing it all happen, Waverly screamed and tried to run toward her girlfriend. She used the pipe to deftly knock out another revenant in her way, Rosita at her back. They never saw the revenant to their side, throwing them both off their feet.

Wynonna cursed as the troll turned to her. Though injured and angry, the troll swept his tree-sized arm at Wynonna, throwing her several meters and into the dirt, Peacemaker slipping out of her hands.

When the dust started to settle, Alex coughed to try and free her airway. She rolled onto her back, grimacing at the searing pain in her leg, and shook her head. Her eyes fell on Nicole laying motionless on the ground after having taken the brunt of the crash. Nicole’s chest was rising and falling though, and Alex let out a breath in relief. As she tried to get to her feet amongst the wooden remains of the wall, her hand fell on a long, thin piece of wood and she grinned. That’ll do. Grabbing hold of the makeshift spike, she pushed away the pain of her injuries and rushed the troll once again. It stood with his back to her, his focus on a downed Wynonna. Alex jumped, her hand finding her embedded knife, and she pulled herself up with a heave, locking her legs around his neck. With a scream of her own, she plunged the spike into the slit of his nostrils, straight up into his brain. The troll froze … and then dropped dead to the ground. Alex managed to push herself away from it and landed on the ground in a heap, panting, hurting and drained.

No one noticed the last revenant picking up Nicole’s gun. He moved to Wynonna, kicking the downed woman in the face and pointed the gun at her. Screw his orders to kill Rosita. He wanted his revenge on the heir. He cocked the gun and Wynonna froze, looking into the blackness of the barrel.

_Bang!_

A hole appeared in the revenant’s forehead and he screamed. Wynonna scrambled backwards, watching as the revenant was pulled underground to hell. “Yeah! Way to go Waverly! I knew you could do it!” She yelled, thinking that her sister must’ve found Peacemaker and used it. She was the only one who possibly could, even if she wasn’t biologically an Earp. Peacemaker had obeyed her once before.

“That wasn’t me,” came Waverly’s voice from her side. Wynonna looked that way, seeing her sister crawl to her feet, Rosita helping her up. She was looking at someone to Wynonna’s other side and Wynonna snapped her head around.

There stood Alex, leaning heavily on her right leg, Peacemaker in her hand.

Wynonna blinked at the sight. “How is that possible?” she wondered out loud.

“Because I’m the goddamn Earp heir!” Alex yelled out, exhaustion and pain making her snappy. And she was sick of the lies.

Waverly snapped out of her shock and looked around. “Nicole!” She stumbled over to her girlfriend, the redhead still lying unconscious in the rubble. As she turned the woman onto her back, Nicole started to stir and Waverly let out a relieved breath as her love’s eyes fluttered open.

“Ugh … What did I miss?” Nicole mumbled.

Waverly shrugged, “Nothing much. Peacemaker sent the revenant back to hell.” She helped Nicole sit up.

“Go, Wynonna.”

“Nope … It wasn’t Wynonna.” Waverly looked back at Alex, who still hadn’t moved. Neither had Wynonna.

Nicole frowned and followed her line of sight. “Oooooh … That actually makes sense.” She thought back to several incidents, Alex calling out for aunt Wavey in her dream for one, or not finding any trace of an Alex Gibson in her databases.

“What? That makes absolutely no sense!” Waverly helped Nicole to her feet, supporting the taller woman’s arm across her shoulders. Rosita came to help, taking Nicole’s other arm, the redhead glad for the assist.

Alex had walked over to Wynonna and held out her hand. Wynonna hesitated for a moment before grabbing it and allowing the other woman to pull her to her feet. She took Peacemaker back when Alex held it out to her, grip first and barrel down.

“Guess I have some explaining to do, huh?” Alex swallowed and kept her eyes to the ground.

Wynonna frowned and reached up, trailing her finger underneath Alex’s chin, coaxing her head up until she could meet her eyes. “Alice?!” She saw the truth written there, in watery eyes that were exactly the same shade of blue as Doc’s. Feeling her own eyes starting to sting, she pulled Alex against her, feeling the younger woman bury her face in her neck.

Locking her eyes with Waverly’s, Wynonna found the same shock and surprise echoing her own response. Nicole looked less surprised, but then again, she always was the smart one of the bunch.

“Uhm … Maybe we should take this inside somewhere? There might still be revenants about,” Nicole offered. “And I for one need to sit down.” She knew she wasn’t the only one all bruised up by the fight.

Alex stepped back from Wynonna. “Let’s go to the station. Get the others. It’s a long story and I only plan to tell it once.”

Rosita eyed the corpse of the troll. “What do we do about that?”

Shrugging, Wynonna tapped it with the tip of her boot. “It ain’t getting any deader. We’ll deal with it later.”

“You’re not worried someone might find it? And start asking questions?”

Wynonna gave the latina a look, “In Purgatory? They’ll just say it’s roadkill. I’ll have Dolls and Doc do the heavy lifting later. And I’ll watch.” She strolled back through the alley.

Nicole looked at Waverly, who just shrugged.

 

* * *

 

No one saw the hazel eyes follow the entire scene from the shadows. For a minute there, Victor was sure his sister problems would be solved once and for all. But nope, they were a resourceful bunch. He had to admit, they make a pretty good team. If anyone would have told him a bunch of girls would take out that troll, he’d have laughed and called them idiots. But he saw it with his own eyes. That bunch of girls took out twelve revenants and one troll. His father needed to be informed that the heir was a greater threat than they’d realised. She has friends …

 

* * *

 

They found Jeremy and Dolls already at the station, having returned from their visit to Bobo. Dolls lifted an eyebrow when they stumbled in, battered and bruised, and silently went to retrieve the first aid kit and some ice.

Jeremy, per usual, wasn’t known for his tact. “Wow, you guys look like you went head to head with The Mountain and lost.” Wynonna shot daggers at him with her eyes, oblivious as always to his pop culture reference, and he turned to his research, mumbling, “Shut up, Jeremy, I get it.”

Nicole collapsed into a chair, Waverly perched on the desk next to her. She accepted the ice pack Dolls handed her and held it to her head, feeling the lump where she’d hit the wall earlier.

Alex took a seat in another chair, wincing as she stretched her long legs in front of her. Her left knee hurt something fierce, but she didn’t think anything was seriously damaged. She looked across the room at Wynonna, who was staring out the window.

Doc arrived a couple of minutes later. “What happened to you all?” he asked, taking in their general aura of being roughed up and beaten down. He noticed Alex avoiding his gaze.

“Revenants,” Waverly quipped.

“I take it Wynonna took care of them?” Doc asked.

Wynonna turned to lean against the wall. “No, I didn’t.” She pointed at Alex, “She did.” When Doc just looked confused, she added, “Seems like Alex Gibson here isn’t really Alex Gibson.”

Alex sighed, “No, I’m not. Though it's a name I’ve been using for years … I was born Alice. Alice Michelle McCready … Earp.”

It took a moment before Doc caught up. When he did, he slowly removed his hat. “What kind of evil sorcery is this?” He still sounded confused and more than a little bit angry.

“Thelema magic … Time travelling magic.” Alex took a breath, “I come from the year 2039, 20 something years in the future.” She paused to let everyone take that in.

Waverly got it first, holding up a hand. “Wait! … You flirted with me?!” Her outburst made Alex chuckle.

“That that was your idea! You’d seen me around town. I flirt with all the cute girls. It would stand out if I didn’t with you, right?” Besides, Alex had to admit that it was fun to tease a reaction out of Nicole.

Dolls rolled his eyes, wanting to get to the point of their situation. “Why?”

Alex had heard Dolls wasn’t someone to beat around the bush. “Because the future sucks.” It was that easy, really. She pushed herself up from the chair and limped to the other side of the room, needing to move around. Everyone else remained silent, waiting for Alex to explain further.

“Five years from now,” Alex started, keeping her eyes on the wall, “in one big, final battle, Bulshars Cult manages to break the curse … and kill the heir.” She swallowed, not seeing everyone look to Wynonna, whose eyes had grown wide. “In retaliation, Black Badge bombs Purgatory to try and contain the demons. They fail, horribly, of course, and the demons escape the Triangle and start to slowly take over. By the time I was ten, they’d taken over most of the world, forcing the human race into hiding. Ten years more and humans are almost extinct.” She turned to look at their shocked faces, “And it all started here. With Bulshar.”

Silence fell over the room, everyone processing what they’d just heard. “So … We’re all dead in five years?” It was Jeremy who asked first.

Alex nodded, “All except one.” She pointed towards Waverly, “My aunt Wavey. You came to see me for my fifth birthday. Two days before you were supposed to go back, you got a call from Nicole …” Alex closed her eyes as she recalled this painful, vivid memory.

 

* * *

 

“Nicole, sweety … I wasn’t expecting your call. Did something happen?”

Five-year-old Alex watched her aunt move to the corner of the room, getting a bit of privacy to take the call. She noticed her great-aunt Gus frown, and it made the child nervous. Something was up, the sensitive girl could almost taste it in the air. Ignoring the coloring books on the table in front of her, she focused on the adults in the room and listened to the voice she could hear on the other end of the telephone.

Nicole breathed deeply, her voice shaking. “The Cult … They attacked the Homestead. Bulshar broke the curse … Waves …. I’m so sorry.”

“What happened, Nicole? Where’s Wynonna?” Waverly was panicking, causing Gus to move over to her.

Nicole hesitated, “That doesn’t matter anymore.” Gunshots and screaming could be heard on her side of the line and Nicole fell silent for a moment, breathing like she was running. A door slammed and Nicole grunted in pain.

“Nicole?!”

“Dolls got a call from an old friend at BBD,” Nicole gritted out between her teeth. She took a breath, “They’re going to bomb Purgatory.”

Waverly turned white, “You have to get out of there!” She heard Nicole slide down to the floor.

“It’s too late, Waves. They’ll be here any minute.” Her breathing was getting labored,the injuries she’d sustained taking their toll. “I love you, Waverly Earp. Always and forever.”

The connection broke.

“Nicole …” Waverly stared at her phone. Gus approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She had heard enough from their side of the line to get the gist of the conversation. Waverly fell into her arms, sobbing.

Alex felt her own eyes start to water, even if the child was too young to understand what just happened. Her aunt was upset and she wanted her to feel better. Alex hopped off her chair and went over to them, wrapping her tiny arms around her aunt.

 

* * *

 

At the end of her story, Alex had to wipe her eyes. And she wasn’t the only one. Waverly had crawled into Nicole’s lap, her arms wrapped around the redhead’s neck, holding her tight as they both cried. Wynonna stood next to them, a hand on her sister’s back. Jeremy was openly crying, as was Doc. Even Dolls had glassy eyes. Rosita remained on her perch at the table, staring into space.

“Uhm …” Alex cleared her throat, though her voice kept shaking. “Waverly stayed with us from then on. Even as we had to flee a couple of years later. Through it all, it always was aunty Wavey and me.” At that, Waverly got up from Nicole’s lap and ran to Alex, pulling her into a bone crunching hug. Alex could feel herself start to shake and her knees buckled, Waverly supporting her down to the ground.

Wynonna got down next to them and pulled Alex against her, letting the young woman cry on her shoulder.

Silence fell over the room for a long time. Only the occasional sniffle was heard. Finally, it was Nicole who stood and motioned at Dolls. “We still have to deal with the dead troll we left on the streets …”

“What troll?” Dolls paused for a moment and held up his hand, “You know what, never mind. Just point me in the right direction.” He followed Nicole out of the room, grabbing Jeremy on the way.

Doc put his hat back on his head and followed, hesitating by the door as he glanced at Alex. Wynonna met his eyes and gave a nod. He returned it, understanding the unspoken dialogue. Later. We’ll talk later. Taking a deep breath, he left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Remember to feed the author :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while, but I finally got cracking on this story again. For those of you still sticking with me, thank you times a thousand!!

_ What the fuck?! _

It was the first conscious thought that came up when Alex felt herself drift to wakefulness. Her eyes blinked open and she looked around in confusion, letting herself drop back down with a sigh as she realized she was on the couch at the homestead. She covered her eyes with her arm, fighting off the invading sunlight.

“You look like crap.”

Alex peeked up from underneath her arm to see Wynonna standing by her side, holding two mugs of what Alex presumed was coffee. “What the fuck happened?” She had no recollection of last night and that felt very strange to her. Wynonna motioned at her legs and Alex scrambled to sit up, freeing the spot for Wynonna to sit. She took the mug Wynonna handed her and inhaled deeply, humming when the scent of freshly brewed coffee hit her nose.

“Nicole made it, so it’s safe.” Wynonna sipped from her own mug, ignoring the snort from the younger woman. They sat in silence, Alex with her legs drawn to her chest, the caffeine slowly waking her up. 

“Trolls, huh? You looked like you knew how to handle it.” Wynonna was at loss for anything else to say.

Alex nodded, “Yeah. I’ve fought them before. They have this really thick skull. Literally nothing goes through it. So the trick is to find the one weak spot, which is up through their nose. Last time it was actually Waverly who shot it with a nail gun … that was pretty badass.” And quite scary, Alex had to admit. That fight was a close call. 

They slipped into an uncomfortable silence once again. 

“This sucks,” Wynonna murmured, finishing her mug and wishing she hadn’t finished that bottle of whiskey last night. It had been her last one. “Oh, and you passed out last night. On the floor at the station. In Waverly’s lap. It was actually kinda cute.” The moment she stopped worrying that was. 

“Oh.” That explained why Alex felt like warmed over dung. “Must have drained me more that I expected ... The fight.” 

Wynonna chuckled, “Sure … The fight.” She nudged Alex with her shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell us before? You’ve been here, what? Three months?” 

“Can you honestly say that you would've believed me?” 

Wynonna didn’t have a witty comeback for that. “I guess not.” She let out a breath and eyed the woman next to her, deciding to ask the one thing that’s been bugging her all through the night. “I’ve been wondering. If we do this, defeat Bulshit and his band of merry misfits … And we bring my daughter … well, you … home. That will change your past significantly.” She stopped for a second, seeing Alex nod. “What will happen to you?” 

It was the million dollar question, wasn’t it? And Alex let her shoulders sag. “I honestly don’t know. It’s not like events like this are widely documented. It could be that your Alice just turns out to be another form of me and we could coexist. On the other hand it could be that I’ll turn into a time-paradox and I’ll … disappear.” 

Wynonna got to her feet suddenly, angry. “That is not an option!” She started pacing through the room.

Alex shook her head, letting out a defeated sigh. “My life against the rest of the human race?” She stood and grabbed Wynonna’s arm when she passed. “I am not your daughter, Wynonna. You daughter is barely six months old and being raised thousands of miles away from here. Your daughter will never know you, never get the chance to hold you and, god forbid, never learn to drink and curse like you. Don’t let her turn into me!” Alex let go of Wynonna’s arm and turned, striding to the front door. She grabbed her jacket from the hook and left, slamming the door on the way out. 

It took Wynonna a few moments to react, being left stunned by Alex’s outburst. She ran out the door, not bothering with a jacket, and saw Alex trudging through the snow. “Alex! Wait!” To her relief, the tall woman stopped and turned in her tracks. Wynonna ran her way over. “I’m sorry. Ok? Really … But I like the person you turned out to be. You are funny and brave … And yeah, a bit gay, but I can handle that.” She smiled at the snort Alex let out at the joke. “Point is, I’m proud to call you my daughter. And I’m not planning on giving you, or Alice, up so easy. We’ll figure it out.” She pulled Alex against her and shivered. “Let's get back inside, I’m freezing my ass off.” She held Alex at arm's length and looked up in her eyes. “How did you get so tall anyway?” When Alex just shrugged and smiled, she laid her arm around the woman’s back, leading them both back inside. “And stop making googly eyes at Rosita. That’s just … weird.” 

Alex’s bellowing laughter followed them into the house.

 

* * *

 

Manning the speed trap wasn’t the most exciting job on the planet, but Nicole liked doing it every now and then. It was peaceful. Quiet. Just her in her cruiser on a backroad between the snowy fields. Nicole used the time to reflect on her day-to-day life and made some of her most important decisions there. Like whether she should man up and walk into Shorty’s to introduce herself to that cute brunette she spotted when she first got to town. It turned out to be the best decision she ever made.

Just thinking of Waverly made her smile. They practically lived together these days, at her house or with Wynonna at the homestead. But Nicole wanted to make it official, wanted to do something official. She wanted her house to be their house, for several reasons. One of those reasons was Wynonna, even though she loved the woman like a sister. Wynonna had a knack for barging in unannounced … everywhere … all the time.

And honestly, Nicole could do with less intimate details of Wynonna’s love life as well. She still hasn't figured out who Wynonna was sleeping with, Doc or Dolls. Or both.

Nicole chuckled to herself and shook her head. That was one can of worms she wasn't about to open. They could figure that out themselves.

One thing Nicole had figured out was that she wanted Waverly by her side, preferably for forever. Alex's story last night got her thinking, realising that they both led dangerous lives that could end in a heartbeat. With a Tomahawk missile per example. 

She thought of the little box she had at home in her nightstand. And the old, golden ring it carried. A family heirloom. Passed on through her family from mother to daughter for generations. It was the only thing Nicole had left from her and the only thing she took with her when she ran away. She never got herself to wear it, but she’d bet it would look fantastic on Waverly’s finger. 

Was it too soon? Would she overwhelm Waverly with it? She just got divorced after all.

Nicole was shook out of her revery by the sound of a vehicle approaching. She leaned back in her seat and eyed her equipment, frowning when the noise got louder. That car was coming fast and would earn a ticket, if not more. “You are going to be in so much trouble,” she mumbled to herself, looking into her side mirror to spot the car. 

It was a black truck and Nicole frowned. The only one driving a truck like that in Purgatory was Dolls and that was a Chevy, this was a Dodge. Her hand went to her seatbelt on reflex and unlocked the clasp. The car revved, gaining speed and Nicole’s eyes widened when it swerved. She threw herself out of the driver's seat in a desperate attempt to get out of the way. The force of the impact tossed her across the passenger seat, her head hitting the door, leaving her dazed and confused. The sound of screeching metal was deafening and by the time it died down and both cars had come to a stop, Nicole was barely conscious. She reached for the handle of the door and let herself fall out of her cruiser. The last thing she heard were doors slamming and the crunch of footsteps as she blacked out.

 

* * *

 

Jeremy was carrying a brown paper grocery bag and hurried to catch up to Dolls, the big man lifting four other bags into the back of his truck. “Dude. You could let me help you.” 

Standing back up, Dolls gave Jeremy a look, his eyebrow high, as he held open the trunk. The younger man smiled sheepishly as he heaved his one bag in the car. Dolls chuckled and patted Jeremy on the shoulder, shutting the door of the trunk. Any reply Jeremy had was interrupted by the arrival of a black truck. 

“Get in the car, Jeremy.” Dolls pulled his gun from his belt, pushing Jeremy towards the car. As Jeremy reached the door, a second truck pulled up in front, blocking the car’s exit. Several men got out, some of them dressed in black robes. Dolls grabbed Jeremy by the back of his shirt. “Change of plan, run!” He pushed the younger man in front of him, trying to put as much distance between them and their assailants. He fired his gun twice, both times one of the black robed figures went down. But more were coming, and then Jeremy tripped. 

They were on them in seconds. Two men started to drag Jeremy toward one of the trucks, the young man kicking and screaming to no avail. Dolls was being overwhelmed by several assailants, most not human, and lost his gun in the proces. His eyes turned yellow as he unleashed the demon inside of him. With a roar, he threw them off, trying to fight his way toward his friend. “Jeremy!”

“Dolls!” Jeremy grunted as he was thrown into the back of the truck. His cry was cut off when the door slammed shut and the truck sped away. 

Dolls roared again, slamming his fist into one of the men’s face, catching another by his robe and pulling him into another one. They stopped fighting back and started to retreat, piling into the remaining truck. Dolls tried to slow them down, finding his gun again and shooting at the truck as it drove off, trying to take out one of it’s tires. Then he fell to his knees, breathing hard, and wiped at the gash on his forehead. He took his phone out of his pocket and called Wynonna. “They took Jeremy!”

 

* * *

 

Wynonna barged into the station, making her way to Dolls. The big man sat on a chair with his shoulders hunched, a bloody ice pack to his head. “What the hell happened out there?”

Dolls shook his head, a sad look on his face. “We were out for groceries. They came out of nowhere, men dressed in black robes.” He looked to Rosita, who was hanging back against the wall.

“The Cult … Acolytes,” Rosita said with a grimace. She really liked Jeremy and hoped the young man was safe. The sound of someone entering made her look up and for some reason her lips curled up in a smile when she saw it was Alex, her phone to her ear.

Alex gave the Latina a grin as she hung up. “Waves is on her way. I tried to call Nicole, but she’s not answering. She could be out in the field, though, with no reception. Waverly said she was on speed trap duty today.”

“Ok, let’s think this through.” Dolls stood, shaking off the pain and exhaustion from the attack. “What does the Cult want with Jeremy?” Jeremy didn’t seem valuable. He was to them, as the big nerd of the team, but mostly as a friend. 

No one had an answer to that. It was finally Alex who came up with a idea. “What if they saw us take down that troll?” The others looked up in confusion and Alex continued throwing her theory on the table. “We took out one troll and twelve Revenants together. The key word being  _ together _ .” She stopped talking when Waverly arrived.

“I can’t reach Nicole. And Nedley says she should be out at the crossroad at the Davies farm. The reception is fine there.” Waverly was trying very hard not to start panicking. She heard Alex and with Nicole out there on her own, Waverly was afraid what might have happened.

Wynonna glanced at Alex, who gave a nod back. “Come on, Baby Girl. Let’s go see if we can get a speeding ticket. I’m pretty sure Officer Haughtpants has a craving to write me one. Dolls? Why don’t you and Rosita head to Shorty’s? Tell Doc … and stay together! We’ll join you guys there after we inform Nicole.” After getting an affirmative nod from Dolls she stepped out of the room, Waverly and Alex close behind her. The three got into Wynonna’s truck and the Heir floored it.

It only took them ten minutes to reach the location where Nicole’s cruiser should have been. Wynonna pulled over and stepped out of the truck. “Skid marks in the snow,” she mumbled to herself, and to Alex who stepped besides her. 

“Stay with Waverly,” Alex said as she ran off, following the marks in the snow up a slope. Then she froze and cursed.

“Alex?! You see something?” Wynonna called out, trying to hold her sister back from following. 

Waverly pulled her arm free. “Let go, Nonna,” she said and climbed the slope with sure steps. She went up next to Alex and gasped. There, a couple of yards further, stood the mangled remains of Nicole’s cruiser. 

Before Alex could stop her, Waverly ran towards it, screaming Nicole’s name. She circled it, taking in the damage, the open passenger door … and the blood coating the interior. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned, falling into Alex’s arms with a sob.

“She’s not here,” Wynonna had stepped besides them. “If she was dead, they would’ve left her.” She tried to console her sister. And herself … she really liked the redhead. She took her phone to call the others.

Waverly sniffed and nodded into Alex’s chest. Then she lifted her head and took a step back, wiping at her face.  “Wynonna’s right. Nicole’s tough, we’ll find her and Jeremy.”

Alex gave her a supportive smile and watched as Waverly returned to the truck. She glanced back at the wreck and frowned. History was changing around her. She couldn’t help but wonder what other changes her arrival would bring.

 

* * *

 

“What happened?” Kevin eyed his son as they dragged a bound and gagged Jeremy into the room. “I send you for two of them. Enough leverage to keep the Heir out of the way.”

Victor grimaced. “That other agent. He’s not human. He killed two of my men. There was no way we could contain him, not without even more casualties.” He took a deep breath. “But I have another one.” He turned and motioned at one of his men, who left the room to retrieve his other prisoner.

While they waited, Kevin noticed the way his son held himself and Kevin felt his blood run cold, hoping his son hadn’t done something stupid. He let out a breath when spotting the red hair of the still unconscious woman being brought inside. 

Jeremy’s eyes widened when he saw Nicole and he struggled against his bindings, mumbling around the gag in his mouth. 

Kevin went to his son and looked him in the eyes, glad to see the smug look on his face disappear and change to fear. “You are even more of an idiot than I thought. You better hope her injuries aren’t serious because if she dies, you die.” He turned on his heels and spoke to the others. “Lock them up. We’ll figure out what to do with them later.” Then he stormed out off the room, leaving Victor to stare at his back and missing his look of contempt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to feed the author :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next installment, with a bit of Nicole's backstory. Hope you all enjoy it!
> 
> Don't forget to feed the author!

Jeremy sat against the wall of his cell, his arms tied painfully behind his back. He’d stopped struggling against his bindings some time ago, realising it was useless and only injured his wrists even more. He didn’t take his eyes off Nicole, who lay motionless several feet away from him, dried blood matting her hair. Jeremy was very worried as his friend hadn’t shown any signs of regaining consciousness. Then he saw her shudder, a shake of her shoulders as she let out a low groan. “Nicole!” 

Hearing her name made Nicole force her eyes open, groaning again when her world was blurred and unfocused. “Jeremy?” She tried to move her hands and looked down in confusion when she realized they were tied together in front of her. 

“Oh thank god you’re not dead!” 

Nicole managed to push herself into a sitting position, leaning heavily against the wall for support. Her eyes finally found Jeremy, in similar bound position as herself. “What the hell happened?” 

Jeremy shook his head. “They got me at the store. Dolls managed to get away. They must have attacked you while you were out on patrol.” 

Nicole looked down with a frown, seeing her uniform stained with her blood. It was slowly coming back to her. “I was on speed trap duty. There was a truck …” She shook her head, “The others? Waverly?!”

“I haven’t seen anyone else. Dolls will have warned them by now. They’ll group together, they’ll be ok. And then they’ll come for us.” Jeremy had the utmost trust in his boss and his friends. 

Nicole nodded and opened her mouth to speak when the door to their cell opened. She snapped her head towards the black clad person entering. With difficulty, Nicole managed to get her feet under her and pushed herself up against the wall, needing to be eye-to-eye with her captor. The man lifted the hood from his face and Nicole recoiled against the wall, sucking in a breath when his eyes, so identical to her own, met hers.

“I see you’re still alive. Good.” Victor barely kept the contempt out of his voice.

Jeremy looked from Nicole to the other man. “Wow … You two …” The painful look Nicole gave him shut him up for once. 

“Victor,” Nicole started. “Why did you do this? Where’s father?”

“Father?! … Father’s busy. Too busy to talk to the likes of you. You turned your back on your own family. Father disowned you.” Victor took a step closer, spitting out the words. “You … The Golden Child. You. Who were going to follow in his footsteps even though I am the eldest!”

Nicole stepped right into his face, “By ten freaking minutes, Vic! And I left because it was the right thing to do. You were supposed to come with me, but you chickened out at the last minute. As you do with everything else in your life.”

Victor, angered by Nicole’s words, pushed her back against the wall. Nicole, still weak on her feet, slid down into a heap on the floor. Victor loomed over her, his fists balled to strike out. Then he turned and marched out of the room, slamming the door on his way out. 

Jeremy looked at Nicole, who let her head drop back against the wall with a defeated expression on her face. “You’re twins?” Nicole closed her eyes and nodded. “Have you two always been so … antagonistic?” 

Nicole didn’t answer for a while and Jeremy started to think he overstepped his boundaries with the question. But then Nicole looked at him, looking as close to tears as he had ever seen her. “No.” She let out a trembling breath. “We were thick as thieves growing up. Everything changed when we were indoctrinated into the cult. Father drifted to me, more and more, ignoring Victor. I never understood why. He became resentful, jealous I think. But I wanted him to come with me when I left, I tried to convince him.”

“I can’t imagine it was easy to leave.” That was something Jeremy had been wanting to ask ever since learning about it. 

Nicole snorted, shaking her head. She looked at Jeremy and decided to start on the story she’d never told anyone before. “Our mom disappeared when we were sixteen. She was just gone, not a trace. Dad said she divorced him, left us … I didn’t believe him. That’s when I started to question what we were doing. I started to look into the archives and stumbled upon the sacrifices, human sacrifices.” She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts. “It took me a year to plan my escape.” Her eyes glazed over as she got lost in her memories.

 

* * *

 

“We'll be fine, Vic. I know where to get fake papers that say we're adults. And we're seventeen, no one will question us. We’ll get a job and live somewhere far away from here.” Nicole stared into the mirror at her brother, tying her long red hair back in a ponytail. It would hide better underneath a hoodie. 

Victor dropped his eyes, trying to hide the doubt and the fear. His sister had always been the brave one, the leader. He always followed. “I don't know, Nic. What if we get caught?”

Turning, Nicole placed her hand on his shoulders, staring into his identical eyes. They were so alike they were often mistaken for the other, especially when they were younger. “We won't. But even if we do … It's better than this.” She shook her head, voice breaking. “I’ve shown you everything, told you everything I've learned. The Cult. What they're doing … It's wrong. I can't do it anymore.” She paused and took a breath. “You know, I've been looking into options for my future, our future. I'm thinking of joining the Police academy. Then, when I’m graduated we could go anywhere we want. Dad will never find us. And if he does, I'll protect you.”

Victor could hear the conviction in his sister's voice. “Ok. I'm in.”

Nicole smiled, relieved. “We leave tonight. After the Acolytes go to their evening prayer. Meet me at the pond.” It took some time to get everything organised, but Nicole was convinced she had a foolproof plan. She found a breach in the grid by the back gate last week. A small spot where the security system was down. Then it would be just a hike through the woods to town where a trucker was waiting to take them to the city. There she’d get their fake ID’s and take an intercity bus.

They left the bathroom, Nicole waiting five minutes after her brother left to be sure, and went to their own bedrooms. It was time for study and prayer. No one should disturb them till morning. 

Nicole pulled on her dark grey hoodie and grabbed the backpack she had carefully assembled during the past weeks. It only had the bare essentials, a change of clothes and some cash she collected during her preparation. Sure, most of it she had stolen from the Cult but she figured they owed it to her anyway, after a childhood of lies and deceit. She paced her room until the bell sounded, the sign for the sworn Acolytes to go and pray. Nicole waited for ten minutes longer before shouldering her bag and slipping out if the room.

She stalked through the hallways of the huge mansion, helped by the knowledge gained by spending years avoiding Acolytes. Even when her mother was still alive they frightened her. She almost got caught twice, though the men were in too much of a rush to see her, and she made it out safely. She headed to the pond and waited nervously for her brother to arrive. 

The minutes crept by and Nicole worried her lip between her teeth. What was taking Victor so long? The crunch of boots in the gravel made her freeze. It was too loud to be her brother, him alone anyway. She ducked into the bushes and waited it out. 

Her eyes widened when her brother appeared, their father and two other men behind him. “I swear, Victor. If you interrupted our prayer for a folly ...” 

“I’m not father! I promise!” Victor interrupted the older man. “She’s betraying us, she should be here somewhere.”

Kevin looked towards the other men. “Look around. If you find her, bring her to me.” The two others nodded and walked away. 

Nicole held her breath, feeling her heart beat out of her chest. She saw her brother look towards her hiding place, his eyes squinting in the dark. Then he shook his head. “I think she was planning to go out of the south gate. Less guards.” He closed his eyes and grimaced before turning and following his father. Nicole let out a breath, relieved she wasn’t discovered. But she needed to flee, now.

She stuck to her original plan, glad she hadn’t fully disclosed it to her brother, and went to the back gate. There she searched the fence for the broken links and peeled them aside, slipping through. As she got to her feet at the other side, she looked back at the only home she ever knew and let the tears fall down her cheeks. “Vic, you idiot,” she mumbled and angrily wiped at her cheeks. They had grown apart during the last few years, but she never expected him to stab her in the back like this. Trying to get her caught.

Taking a deep breath, Nicole turned and ran into the woods. She couldn’t afford to waste time now. Her original plan depended on their disappearance remaining unnoticed for hours, until morning at best. Now they would search the woods as soon as they figured out she wasn’t on the property anymore. 

So Nicole ran. She ran as hard and as far as she could, reaching the town in record time. The trucker she payed off didn’t ask questions as she climbed into his truck. When they reached the city, she got a ticket on the first intercity bus she could find with her fake ID. Only when the bus left, leaving the city behind, did Nicole dare to relax. She’d take at least two more buses before looking for a place to settle. There was no way they’d find her then. 

Finally, she was free.

 

* * *

 

“Why do you think Victor didn’t go with you? And do you think he saw you, hiding there in the bushes?” Jeremy asked after a few moments. It was what bothered him most about Nicole’s story.

Nicole shrugged. “I don’t know. I really thought we were on the same page, that I convinced him. But he must have seen the opportunity to get into father’s good graces.” She let her head drop down into her hands, eyes closed and rubbed at her temples as best as she could with her bound hands. Her head still hurt like hell. 

“I enrolled in the academy a couple of months later. On the other side of the country. Never heard from father, or the Cult again. Until Dolls handed me those files.” A part of her wished she’d never come to Purgatory. But then she thought of Waverly and the home she created here. Perhaps it was fate after all. A way for her to deal with her past in order to earn a future. 

Jeremy nodded as he looked at his friend with compassion in his eyes. He was still worried. Nicole was clearly in pain and he feared she had a head injury. “They’ll find us,” he said watching as Nicole lifted her head and opened her eyes and saw she was having trouble focusing on him. “You need to stay awake. You hit your head pretty hard.” 

With a grimace, Nicole agreed. “Why don’t you tell me a story, Jer? You know more about my ugly past now than anyone else.” She wasn’t ready to delve into it further.

Jeremy gave her a grin and started talking. He talked about his family, his mother and sister. About the wonderful childhood that he had until the car crash ended it all. And the years of hospitalizations and surgeries that followed. Nicole listened intently, trying to keep herself focused. She lost the battle after half an hour and even Jeremy calling out her name couldn’t keep her awake.

 

* * *

 

Alex was breathing hard as she smacked her fists into the heavy bag, over and over again. The others were in BBD office going over the little information they knew, but she just had to get out for a moment. Clear her head. Doll offered the work out room in the basement, which was actually part from the Municipal Office but no one but him ever used it. 

“Damn, I’m glad I’m on your side.” 

Alex wiped the sweat from her forehead and turned, glaring back at whoever interrupted her. She blinked when she saw it was Rosita, leaning in the doorway holding a bottle of water. “Oh … hey,” she mumbled around her suddenly dry tongue. She rubbed at her neck and looked down at herself, realizing she looked like a mess.

Rosita chuckled as she sauntered into the room. She handed Alex the bottle, getting a jolt when her fingers brushed those from the enigmatic young woman. She wouldn’t deny she found her attractive. Alex was tall and slender, the simple top she wore showing off strong arms and shoulders. And while she was punching the bag, Rosita got an eyeful of ripped abdominal muscles when the shirt inched up. But Alex was the daughter of Wynonna and Doc. The next Earp Heir. Nothing could ever happen between them. Still, no one could blame her for enjoying the view. “Nothing new up there. Wynonna is being her sarcastic self, pissing off her sister, and Dolls is trying to keep them focused.” She shook her head. “You were the smart one, to take a break.”

Taking a long drink from the bottle, Alex gave herself some time to form a reply. “It just sucks,” she finally said. “We have no idea where to start looking.” She walked toward the corner of the room and grabbed the towel she’d left there to wipe the sweat from her brow. “And I just feel so useless …” It felt good to finally admit that out loud, even if it was to someone she least expected. 

“What do you mean?” Rosita asked in confusion. 

“I came here from the future, carrying all the knowledge needed to finish the Cult and save the world. And to end the goddamn curse.” Alex took a sharp breath. “But all around me things are changing. Take Nicole and Jeremy’s disappearance. That never happened in my past. I don’t know how to help with that.” And then there’s Rosita herself, Alex thought. Who was she and how does she fit into this story? 

Rosita frowned. “Don’t know how to help? You saved us all from a fucking troll. You saved me. I’m fairly certain Wynonna would have handed me over in a heartbeat. And to be fair, I wouldn’t have blamed her.” Her eyes dropped down. 

Alex placed her index finger underneath Rosita’s chin to gently lift her head back up and looked down into surprised eyes. “Hey,” she kept her voice down, needing her to believe every word. “You’re not a bad person.” 

“I’m a Revenant,” Rosita whispered. “I befriended Wynonna and then tried to kidnap her baby ... you.” That part was still a bit confusing. “Point being, I’m not a good person. I’ve been sent to hell and was reborn as a demon. Wynonna should just put a bullet between my eyes and get it over with. I’m sick of this whole ‘I’ll shoot you last’ stuff.” She found it hard to keep Alex’s gaze. She felt like those baby blue eyes were staring right through her soul, what was left of her soul anyway. She was drawn to them like a moth to a flame and felt herself rising on her toes, trying to get closer.

Alex held her breath as she physically tried to hold still. There were so many things wrong with this. Rosita was, for lack of a better term, her enemy. But there was something pulling her in, something that clicked. Her eyes slid down to those full lips ...

A door slammed in the hallway and both Alex and Rosita pulled back, the moment broken. Wynonna barged into the training room and lifted an eyebrow at the awkward scene. She coughed, “Did I interrupt something?”

Rosita shook her head. “Just brought Alex here some water.” She dropped her eyes and walked past Wynonna out of the door. 

Wynonna went to Alex and crossed her arms in front of her chest, trying to look like a stern mother. “You do know Rosita slept with Doc, right? Your father?” She squished her nose.

Alex shrugged. “Nothing happened, Wynonna. And nothing will, ok?” She finished the bottle of water. “Why did you come down here?” 

“Dolls and I are going to check out an abandoned factory in the badlands. Do you mind watching out for Waverly for a while?”

“Of course not.” Alex eyed Wynonna as she nervously turned and walked back out of the room with fast steps. She shook her head at the antics. Her aunt always said she looked and acted like her mother a lot, and Alex was starting to notice. She grinned to herself and headed for the showers. Perhaps a cold one would help her settle down. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Please feed the author. We literally live on comments and/or kuddos!
> 
> If anyone is wondering what a unicursal hexagon looks like: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicursal_hexagram  
> So imagine that (the one with the flower) and the Greek lettering as Alex's back tattoo.


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